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IndiGo considers neo deferrals and Nepal Airlines to deploy A330s to Japan and Korea
August 12th 2016
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Announcing its first quarter results, IndiGo Airlines president, Aditya Ghosh, said the A320neo "continues to be a challenge.” As such, the Gurgaon-headquartered LCC is considering slowing deliveries of the re-engined single-aisle to allow for modifications to its Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan (GTF) engine.
Klaus Roewe, head of the A320 programme, told Orient Aviation in June that issues with the GTF’s “FADEC nuisance faults” (the engine’s digital control system was sending false alarms to the cockpit) have been completely fixed following software updates. He said the other two problems, the GTF’s start-up time and hydraulic temperature, would be fully resolved by autumn and summer 2016, respectively.
Qatar Airways had complained the GTF’s ambient hydraulic temperature must be raised from its current level of 50 degrees Celsius to at least 55 degrees. “We will get this fixed,” said Roewe, adding “even though Doha has not seen a single day with temperatures exceeding 55 degrees.” Qatar Airways has since cancelled its first neo.
IndiGo now has six neos in service, with a further 424 on firm order.
For the first quarter, IndiGo posted a net profit of 5.92 billion rupees ($87.3 million), down 7.4% year-on-year, “primarily because of competitive fare pressures,” Ghosh said. “[However,] we have reduced our debt by 4.6 billion [rupees] … and our on-time performance has improved to 85% ... compared to 80.6% for the same period last year,” the IndiGo president added.
In other updates, further north, in Kathmandu, Nepal Airlines managing director, Sugat Ratna Kansakar, has told Gulf News the carrier will replace its two B757-200s with two A330-200s due in December and February, respectively. Nepal Airlines plans to use the A330s for new services to Osaka, Tokyo and Seoul.
Nepal Airlines currently operates the two B757s and two A320s to nine destinations, including Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Doha. It will receive another two A320s in 2017.
Further south, in Colombo, flag carrier SriLankan Airlines has agreed to wet-lease three of its excess A330s to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). News reports have suggested PIA will pay SriLankan $88,000 a day per aircraft.
