Liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is facing investigation in loan default cases, has said “faulty engines” was one of the reasons for the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines.
His comments came against the backdrop of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordering inspection of 21 Airbus A320neo planes of IndiGo and GoAir equipped with Pratt & Whitney (P&W) engines and faced frequent technical problems.
A group firm of P&W has been sued for supplying defective engines to Kingfisher Airlines, Mallya, who has been declared a wilful defaulter and is wanted by Indian authorities for default in payment of loans, said.
“Not surprised at DGCA enquiry into Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines. Kingfisher Airlines sadly collapsed also due to faulty engines. We have sued IAE, a Pratt & Whitney Group Company, for compensation towards defective aircraft engines supplied to Kingfisher Airlines,” Mallya tweeted.
DGCA had earlier this week ordered a detailed inspection of the A320neo planes. P&W said it is working with IndiGo and GoAir as well as the regulator over the issues. The DGCA directive came after taking serious note of recent incidents where some IndiGo and GoAir flights had to make emergency landings due to engine issues.
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