Indian airline Go First is considering legal action against Pratt and Whitney (PW) for failing to provide compensation after March 2020 for planes grounded due to engine supply delays, sources said on Thursday.
About 90 per cent of the airline’s fleet of aircraft uses PW engines. About 24 of the airline’s 55 planes are grounded due to delays in engine supply by PW. Go First is operating 27 per cent fewer flights in March 2023 than in March 2022 (see table).
PW’s contract with Go First has three main conditions: PW has to provide a spare engine within 48 hours of an aircraft getting grounded due to its faulty engine; faulty engines have to be repaired free of charge as they are under warranty; and compensation has to be provided to the airline for “productivity loss” due to grounded planes.
“Till March 2020, PW provided spare engines on time, repaired without cost, and provided some compensation. However, the airline has not received anything after that,” a source privy to the development said.
PW and Go First did not respond to queries by Business Standard.