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Engine AOG (aircraft on ground) groundings
What it is
Aircraft On Ground events caused by engine removals for inspection or repair. Powdered-metal contamination in Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines forced accelerated inspections globally, grounding a substantial share of India's A320neo fleet through 2024-25
Engines must go to a limited number of overhaul shops, so turnaround times stretched to many months
Impact on industries
- Grounded aircraft carry full lease and financing cost while earning nothing, so the hit is direct and immediate
- Capacity withdrawal tightened the market and pushed fares up, so the operational failure of one carrier raised prices across the industry
- Demonstrates the concentration risk inside fleet commonality - a single engine type issue affects the entire fleet at once
- Compensation from the manufacturer offsets part of the cost, and MRO capacity expansion in India is a direct consequence
- Indian MRO revenues are expected to triple by FY28 as fleet size doubles, so the constraint is creating a domestic industry