By Bikram Vohra
The supply chain problem is one of many things that United States power plant manufacturer Pratt & Whitney faces. Labour issues combined evilly with inflation have added to its fractured functioning. In addition, the fallout has affected carriers in India, namely Indigo and Go First. Between them, as many as 60 Airbus A320s are grounded for lack of spare parts, and there could be more. While Indigo might struggle on and manage its schedules despite the threat of this ongoing hassle, the smaller Go First is being crippled. Earlier this month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stepped in to assess and ostensibly find a solution to what could be worsening the situation. However, it also does not have a magic wand; all the players are simply swimming in a pool of goodwill and nothing more substantial.
The DGCA cannot do much except threaten Pratt & Whitney with legal action, and that really is an empty threat because the airlines cannot just saunter off to another power plant option. With Indigo having already moved away to CFM nearly four years ago when in 2019 it signed a $20 billion deal, it is now concerned about its older but ‘not so old’ fleet. Much of the 300-strong Airbus A320ceo fleet is powered by International Aero Engines (IAE) V2500 engines, of which Pratt & Whitney is integral to the consortium. Go First (formerly known as GoAir) is an Indian low-cost airline that also operates a fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft, out of which 54 A320neos and 5 A320-200s are vulnerable to this delay. Pratt & Whitney engines, namely the PW1100G-JM and the PW6000 series, power both aircraft types.
To add to the misery, there is a whole fleet of ATR 72s with Indigo that have Pratt & Whitney engines and are now in jeopardy, especially if the sluggishness continues. Moreover, the cruel fact is that there is unlikely to be any improvement through 2023, and we have yet to even get halfway there. There was a bit of a happy spike a few months ago, and there was hope that things were coming back onto an even keel, but the euphoria did not last, and the situation has returned to the current normal means delays are integral to the situation.
Greg Hayes, Chief Executive Officer of Raytheon, the umbrella company for Pratt & Whitney, made a full disclosure when he was quoted as saying, “We continue to focus on what we can control by proactively managing the businesses through these dynamic times. While supply chain issues are frustrating, we are seeing some stabilisation.” That stabilisation is rocky and of cold comfort to the two beleaguered carriers. In fairness, the power plant manufacturer has attempted to right the ship by planning a maintenance and repair facility in India, but it has not come about, the sincerity of the premise neutralised by little forward movement.
With nearly 60 planes out of action in both carriers and more aircraft likely to be put on the chocks, an airline like Go Air is practically frozen and risks being flown into bankruptcy. No wonder the DGCA has seen it best to join the impasse and see if it can expedite the solution or, at least, play host and pour in the negotiations. The sticky wicket is that it is not just the supply lines that are crushingly crippled; it is also labour problems and a cash crunch that have added to the impasse.
To sidestep its current inability, Pratt & Whitney has indicated that the delays in servicing and replacing engines have been further compromised by the region’s harsh weather and environmental pressures, thereby reducing engine time on the wing and lengthening the waiting time. This thinly veiled accusation cannot have gone down well with the two carriers seeing as how the weather or the temperatures are no more gruelling in other parts of the world and where the mercury arc is wider, that effect is factored into the agreement. Pratt & Whitney has also tiptoed past the fact the availability of complex metal components used to produce aerospace turbofans is in short supply and will stay so through 2023.
An Asian News Internationa (ANI) report quoting an unidentified spokesperson at Indigo sets out the current situation succinctly. “Globally, the aviation industry continues to face significant supply chain disruptions. While it is our immediate priority to deploy adequate capacity to serve our customers, we are actively engaged with our Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partners to work on mitigation measures that should ensure the continuity of our network and operations.”
There is also the elephant in the room, which is awkward and potentially the most worrying. The reliability and durability of these engines, particularly those on the Airbus A320neo planes, have reported technical glitches and snags. These squawks, as they are called, have extended to issues with bearings, with combustion chambers and even oil systems, according to some reports. Ergo, no responsible carrier will take a chance and take off in these circumstances. It can be recalled that in February 2020, 11 aircraft in the A320neo fleet were grounded because of safety concerns. Incidents of inflight shutdowns and engine failures have led to diversions. All this bruises the peace of mind of these airlines, and the need to address the impact and fallout cannot be left to simmer on the back burner.
Is there a way out? An airline like airBaltic, also hurting in a similar fashion on the compromise to its A220 fleet, had this to say, “We are strongly committed to our contractual obligations to passengers and partners. However, the extended turnaround times for Pratt & Whitney servicing the engines are causing operational disruption for airBaltic. They, as a long-term partner of airBaltic, could not keep the given promise again on the improved turnaround times. Therefore, airBaltic is contracting replacement capacity in the form of Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) wet-lease aircraft.”
Two other carriers from Africa also adversely affected are Air Tanzania and Air Senegal; they have even stated they will take the legal route. Of concern from the safety angle is the Turkish Airline advisory mentioning glitches and technical issues with its A320s. This carrier plans to lease engines. For India, the arrival of the DGCA on the table is encouraging in the optics, but what can it truly achieve by way of a solution. Power plants are not something that are just lying around the place. It is not easy to replace them, and for now, the odds are that the carriers so affected will have to just hope that Pratt & Whitney can get an act together and narrow the time frame…or go in for the leasing option.
Bikram Vohra is the Consulting Editor of Indian Aerospace & Defence
