Airlines flying to Port Blair take precautions after DGCA warning

CHENNAI: Airlines flying to Port Blair have started taking precautions after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) warned that Pratt and Whitney (P&W) engines should not be used for flights on the route.
IndiGo and GoAir have narrow-body aircraft that have P&W engines.
IndiGo has started using A320 aircraft powered by engines which are safer than the trouble-prone P&W machines, while GoAir has deployed planes that uses non-P&W engines.
There are more than six flights from Chennai to Port Blair daily. Operations on the route were not affected after warning was issued, though airport officials said airlines take precautions while flying the route which is already fraught with weather turbulence.
The warning was issued after DGCA felt that planes with P&W engines should not be used for flights over the sea where alternative landing spots are not available within an hour’s flight time.
The aviation regulator also felt that the route comes under Extended Diversion Time Operation (EDTO) which means that the nearest airport should be reachable using single engine in an hour’s time.
However, IndiGo said that Port Blair does not come under EDTO and alternative airports have been defined.
“The restriction by DGCA is precautionary and interim. Though the time period is not defined currently, IndiGo will continue operations with IAE engines fitted in A320s. Operations will not get affected and passengers will not face any inconvenience,” said an official. The warning, however, will impact the airlines because they may have to use planes with alternative engines to fly routes over the sea especially on international routes to Southeast Asia or the Middle East.