Budget carrier IndiGo said it will see additional aircraft groundings in the range of “mid-thirties” in the early part of next year due to the impact of the powder metal issue in Pratt and Whitney engines.
The figure pertains to groundings anticipated between January and March 2024, and will be in addition to the 40-50 aircraft already on ground because of older issues on PW engines, the airline said in a press statement on Tuesday following additional information provided by the engine manufacturer. The airline reiterated that its planned capacity growth would not be impacted because of the development and would continue to be on the upper side of 15-20% due to various measures adopted such as extension of old leases, and new aircraft leases. The engine manufacturer will be withdrawing 600-700 engines between 2023 and 2026 following a new problem involving contaminated powdered metal.
