Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has confirmed that all Boeing 777 aircraft in the national flag carrier fleet are equipped with General Electric Engine which is the safest engine. This confirmation was made after Boeing’s announcement on February 21, to ground all 777 model aircraft.
With over 33000 engines in service, General Electric Engine is a world leader in jet engine manufacturing however, in light of the recent United Flight 328 incident; the US plane manufacturer, Boeing, recommended grounding all of the 777-model aircraft.
We recommended and support suspending operations of the 69 in-service and 59 in-storage 777s powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines while the NTSB investigation is ongoing.
Read statement on United Airlines Flight 328: https://t.co/iz1r8QQzkS
— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) February 22, 2021
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The United Flight 328, on its way to Honolulu, suffered an engine failure that rained aircraft parts over suburban Denver. The flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Denver Airport. Luckily, there were no casualties reported among the 231 passengers and 10 crew members or Colorado residents.
Planes to undergo inspection
Initial examinations of the engine from United Flight 328 showed that two fan blades were fractured, according to the US National Transportation Safety Board.
Following the incident, extra inspections of Boeing 777 jets fitted with the Pratt & Whitney 4000 engine are in progress.
Meanwhile, US plane manufacturer Boeing stated that “While [an] investigation is ongoing, we recommended suspending operations of the 69 in-service and 59 in-storage 777 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines.”
United Airline was the only US airline flying this model of Boeing 777 planes, Other countries that are known to have these model aeroplanes with GE engines include Japan and South Korea.
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Japan’s transportation ministry has ordered All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines to ground their Boeing 777s that have Prat and Whitney 4000 engines. Meanwhile, South Korea’s Asiana Airlines and Korean Air have also decided to ground their planes as a precautionary measure.
According to PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez, General Electric Engines are considered to be the safest. He has also confirmed that PIA has a total of 29 aircraft in its fleet which includes 12 Boeing 777.
With PIA’s recent plans of revival, it seems unlikely that the airline will ground its planes. However, for the safety of passengers, it is imperative that the national air carrier conduct a thorough investigation of its own planes powered by General Electric Engines.
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