DGCA bars 90 SpiceJet pilots from flying Boeing 737 Max planes
Boeing 737 MAX resumed operations in December 2020 two years after they were grounded fter the 2018 Lion Air and 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crashes
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has barred 90 SpiceJet pilots from flying Boeing 737 Max aircraft until they undergo the required training, citing issues with their simulator training.
"...we have barred these pilots from flying Max and they have to retrain successfully for flying MAX. We will take strict action against those found responsible for the lapse," said DGCA director Arun Kumar, without specifying what the issues were.
SpiceJet, which has 650 pilots trained for Boeing 737 MAX operations, is the only Indian airline to operate them. It has 11 such aircraft in its fleet. Billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's Akasa Air, which plans to begin operations this summer, has ordered 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
The spokesperson said the restriction will not impact 60 daily flight operations by MAX aircraft.
Boeing 737 MAX resumed operations in December 2020 two years after they were grounded fter the 2018 Lion Air and 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crashes, which left 346 people dead.
A faulty flight handling system meant to keep the plane from stalling as it ascends was blamed for the crashes. The automated system was found to have pushed the nose of the plane downwards.
Aviation authorities in the US later directed Boeing to revamp the planes and implement new training protocols for the pilots. The ban on Boeing 737 MAX was lifted in India in 2021.
