IndiGo to fit grounded planes with dual-seat configuration, launch business class by year end

Another executive said that IndiGo has nearly 25 grounded Airbus A321 planes, which will be fitted with new premium seats as they are sent for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) to install new engines.

“The airline, in true prudent IndiGo way, is looking to make the most of its AOG (aircraft on ground) and is looking to use the upcoming MRO visit of its A321 fleet to kill two birds with one stone,” a second executive said, also declining to be identified.

Emails sent to a spokesperson for IndiGo remained unanswered till the time of publishing.

IndiGo, India’s biggest carrier in terms of domestic market share and fleet, has said that it has over 70 aircraft grounded at the moment and that its grounded fleet will start returning to the air soon.

The aircraft on the ground include planes either waiting for parts due to supply-chain challenges or undergoing inspections after Pratt & Whitney recalled hundreds of PW1100G engines.

Business class 

Last week, IndiGo announced that it will offer business class services on its flights by the end of 2024.

The premium class travel option will be offered on the busiest routes, the airline said in the filing. In August, the carrier will announce more details about the offers, launch date and routes.

“We are excited with this new phase and tailormade product in IndiGo’s evolution and strategy and aim to further give wings to the nation by connecting people and aspirations,” said Pieter Elbers, IndiGo’s CEO.

CNBC-TV18, in a May 28 report, said that IndiGo’s business class seats will be available on 10 to 15 aircraft operating on major domestic metro routes.

“Passengers travelling between Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Bengaluru, and Delhi-Chennai, among others, will soon have the option to upgrade to a more premium travel experience,” the CNBC report said. It added that IndiGo’s international business class service is expected to commence on routes such as Delhi-Dubai, Delhi-Singapore, and Delhi-Abu Dhabi.

Why are IndiGo’s planes grounded?

IndiGo has been forced to ground some of its Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 aircraft, part of its overall fleet of 367 aircraft, due to engine issues with Pratt & Whitney jets installed on them.

The airline currently operates 176 A320neo planes as part of its fleet of 367 aircraft. Out of the above, 60 more aircraft use engines by P&W engines.

RTX Corp, the parent of Pratt & Whitney, announced in September that it would increase the scope of recent engine inspections.

The problem, which the company first disclosed in July, stems from defects with powder metal used to make some of the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines, which can cause cracks.

RTX said that about 600 to 700 engines beyond the company’s early forecast will have to be removed for shop visits through 2026.

The defect will ground hundreds of aircraft and affect nearly the entire fleet of GTF-powered Airbus A320neos.

The company estimated an average of 350 Airbus A320 family planes per year will be grounded from next year through 2026. The airline said it expects the issue to cost up to $7 billion.

GTF engine issue

IndiGo’s A321 aircraft are grounded due to supply-chain challenges as the airline is looking to replace Pratt and Whitney’s Geared Turbo Fan (GTF) engines.

GTF is a gear in the engine that reduces the rotational speed and allows the fan to be used even at lower speeds. According to industry experts, the GTF engines were the most fuel-efficient for the Airbus 320neo family when introduced.

Earlier, P&W was the only manufacturer producing these engines but now other manufacturers, such as Safran, have started making them. Air India and IndiGo have shifted to the new engines.

“There have been reports of vibrations in bearing three of the GTF engines, which led to the aircraft experiencing issues,” said a pilot who had flown an aircraft powered by this engine type.

2019 DGCA order on GTF engines

In 2019, the DGCA asked IndiGo and Go First to replace around 30 PW GTF engines that had been used for over 3,000 hours.

The DGCA had also issued a safety advisory in 2019 related to issues with Pratt & Whitney’s GTF engines after several aircraft were grounded by IndiGo and GoAir in 2018.

As part of its advisory, DGCA noted that aircraft fitted with the engines had faced technical and operational glitches. The regulator said it had detected a pattern in an increasing number of incidents involving Airbus 320 Neo and Airbus 321 Neo planes.

The DGCA had found a fault in the low-pressure turbine (LPT) engine of the GTF engines and ordered both IndiGo and Go First to replace their older engines with the new and modified Neo engines, in which the design problems of the gearbox or the LPT have been remedied.

The DGCA found that aircraft that had flown more than 2,900 hours and didn’t have a new modified engine supplied after June 2019 were the most prone to developing problems.

After the DGCA advisory, IndiGo, in 2019, switched to LEAP-1A engines and signed a long-term service agreement with CFM International for the engines to power its A320 and A321 family aircraft.

Bankrupt carrier Go First had also been forced to ground much of its fleet due to issues with P&W's GTF engines.