Snags in 2 IndiGo A320 Neo aircraft on Sunday, 1 grounded (Lead)

New Delhi March 18 (IANS) Budget carrier IndiGo Airlines announced on Sunday that its A320 Neo aircraft that operated on the Delhi-Srinagar route earlier in the day was temporarily grounded at Srinagar following detection of a hydraulic leak in an engine.

The airline in a statement said the defect has been rectified and the aircraft is now fit to fly.

"An A320 Neo aircraft that operated Delhi-Srinagar was cleared after maintenance checks upon arrival at Srinagar airport. However during engine start the pilot-in-command observed a hydraulic (not oil) leakage from engine 2.

"The aircraft was immediately withdrawn to investigate the hydraulic leak. The issue has been rectified and the aircraft is now fit to fly " it said.

IndiGo earlier announced that its A320 Neo aircraft that operated on the Bengaluru-Delhi route on Sunday was withdrawn in Delhi for a maintenance check to attend to a reported defect.

"During the maintenance check metal chips were observed on 1 Engine 3 Bearing Chip detector which is a known concern on the Neo engine " a statement said.

Meanwhile IndiGo and GoAir cancelled 48 flights on Wednesday as almost a third of their A320 Neo aircraft fleet remained grounded for the third day following a safety directive by the aviation regulator DGCA. Of these flights 42 are of IndiGo and six belong to GoAir.

--IANS
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