India steps up scrutiny of Pratt's balky new engines on Airbus jets

Regulators in India are stepping up scrutiny of Pratt & Whitney’s new jet engines as the manufacturer tries to overcome glitches that have grounded some Airbus planes. The geared turbofan engines are now being inspected after as few as 350 hours of operation, down from initial plans for every 1,000 hours, Civil Aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said. Power plants that don’t meet all requirements will be pulled from service, and the govt denied Pratt’s request to allow some failed engines to continue to be used for short intervals, he said. Pratt is rushing to address the flaws after spending US$10b developing the geared turbofan for narrow-body planes such as Airbus’ A320neo. The engine has had a rocky introduction amid delivery delays and technical issues. <br/>