India's IndiGo says 12 planes grounded due to engine shortages

India's biggest airline IndiGo said Friday it had been forced to ground 12 Airbus jets because of delays in getting new Pratt and Whitney-made engines and uncertainty around a new Indian sales tax. In a statement following local media reports of new grounded planes, the carrier said eight of its A320neo aircraft had been grounded since April. Four A320ceo were also grounded last month because spare engines are stuck at customs, which the company linked to clarifications related to a new country-wide sales tax. IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, and rival GoAir have faced delays in receiving planes from Airbus due to ongoing problems with engines developed by Pratt and Whitney, owned by United Technologies. Local media on Friday had reported that 13 planes had been grounded, and that the airline was forced to cancel 84 flights. IndiGo, which has 95 aircraft in service, said it had previously flagged up the grounding of nine A320neos in June because of a lack of spare engines. The shortages have "led to unplanned flight cancellations. All passengers have been informed of the changes and accommodated accordingly," the airline said.<br/>