Air India in trouble over costly parts not pulled out of scrapped A320 planes

A major controversy has erupted in Air India (AI) over expensive usable components not being removed from 13 Airbus A320s which were scrapped and could have enabled the cash-strapped airline to save crores of rupees.

Official records accessed by Mail Today show the Hyderabad region of AI handled one of the 14 Airbus A320s that were scrapped and removed 1,158 parts for subsequent use in the A320s being used for regular flights. Proper records have also been maintained of these cannibalised spare parts in Hyderabad. However, the Delhi region, which insiders say handled the removing of 13 vintage A320 aircraft, removed only 650 components from each plane. Sources disclose each vintage aircraft has over 1,150 costly components which cost $15 to $20 million when new.

14 Airbus A320 aircraft of state-run Air India were scrapped $20 mn is the cost of over 1,150 parts in each Airbus A320 when bought new $210 mn is value of parts which should have been removed from scrapped A320s

These parts can be removed and serviced for repair and maintenance of the regular airline fleet, which helps save money. The total value of the components that should have been removed works out to $210 million (Rs 1,100 crore).

The Delhi region, by not removing as many as 500 components in each scrapped plane, is reported to have caused a huge loss to the airline. According to an official statement sent by the carrier to Mail Today: "A list of items that needed to be cannibalised was firmed up based on experience viz. their regular usage (fast moving), commonality with new fleet, etc. As against the aircraft in Delhi, the aircraft at Hyderabad happened to be cannibalised more since the cannibalisation list was firmed up at Delhi later. Therefore, more items were cannibalised at Hyderabad as compared to Delhi."

Insiders also allege that even several removed parts do not tally with records of AI and are suspected to be missing. However, the management denies this. The official statement said, "All the removed items have been well accounted for. Items are located at different locations due to handling procedures viz. installation on aircraft, bench check in the shops, some awaiting dispatch for repair to vendors and some in transit between various locations. Hence, saying that the items had gone missing is a wrong perception."

Interestingly, it took Mail Today nearly three weeks of repeated emails and phone calls to get the AI version on the issue.

Courtesy: Mail Today