AvTalk 226: Contaminated powder and a single piece of chicken

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, very expensive news for Pratt and Whitney and more headaches for A320neo operators. Go First gets the green light to relaunch if they can meet specific conditions. A Delta 767 suffers heavy hail damage over Italy. And passengers on a British Airways flight end up with less than they bargained for.

Up to 1200 Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines affected by defect

Up to 1200 of the more than 3,000 PW1100G engines produced so far will need to be thoroughly inspected due to possible contamination in the metal alloy that forms the high pressure turbine disks in the engine. Pratt and Whitney also took a $181 million charge due to the bankruptcy of one of its airline customers, Go First.

Go First gets the go-ahead, but there are terms

Speaking of Go First, India’s civil aviation authority granted Go First the opportunity to restart operations, but a list of stringent conditions must be met before passengers can once again book tickets on the airline. Those conditions—and the effort by lessors to delist Go First’s fleet—make their return to the skies seem unlikely.

Delta 767 damaged by hail

A Delta Air Lines 767 departing Milan for New York suffered severe hail damage just after take off and safely diverted to Rome. See photos of the damage.

X-66A livery revealed

NASA and Boeing revealed the livery for the X-66A this week at Oshkosh. They also detailed a consortium of airlines that will advise NASA and Boeing on the design of the aircraft to speed its entry into service.

Single aisle lav access now the rule

The US Department of Transportation issued a final rule that new single aisle aircraft must feature a lavatory large enough for a person in a wheel chair and an aide. There are some phase-ins, but this is excellent news for those who are currently shut out of single aisle aircraft lavatories due to mobility issues.

Airbus’ A321XLR might be a little less XL

Following negotiations with regulators about fire resistant insulation around the rear fuel tank in the fuselage of the A321XLR, the aircraft has gained weight. This added weight could possibly reduce the aircraft’s range by up to 200 nautical miles, according to a report from Reuters.

Fried chicken surprise

A British Airways flight to London had a catering issue in the Caribbean. Instead of canceling the flight, someone at British Airways got creative.

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