NEW DELHI: Clearing the doubts surrounding Airbus Neo aircraft, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) assured air passengers that the incidents of engine glitches are being monitored and harshest action will be taken if required.
“DGCA assures all its stakeholders that we are alive to the situation and will take the harshest action, should the need arise,” the aviation regulator said following a meeting with airline operators Indigo and GoAir on Wednesday.
Officials said the DGCA is continuously monitoring the performance of these engines and taking proactive measures as and when required, including grounding of aircraft in the interest of safety, and further remedial measure, if necessitated, will be taken.
The regulator also said that the operation of these aircraft and engines are considered safe globally. “The manufacturer has been directed to ensure more availability of spare engines for Indian operators to prevent grounding of aircraft due to removal of engines,” it said, adding that about 40% of the domestic seat capacity of India is powered by Neo Engines and therefore, any knee-jerk reaction to completely shut their operations will have serious consequences.
“As there has not been any reported case of any accident in any part of the world, where these engines are in operation, will it be prudent? It is true that there have been cases of air turnback, in-flight shutdown or engine vibration beyond the prescribed limits, but with strong mitigation measures in place and strict adherence to SOPs by the airlines, the problem is being contained,” said the regulator.
There have been so far 19 cases of engine snag in A320 Neo aircraft due to which some of the aircraft are grounded.