New Delhi: India has decided to allow the Boeing 737 Max to fly in its skies again only after rigorous testing of its own, even if the US Federal Aviation Administration gives the nod for it to fly again. About 400 of these aircraft were grounded globally this March after 346 people were killed in two crashes, one in Malaysia and the other in Ethiopia. In India, 13 B737 Max of SpiceJet are grounded and the budget airline is the only desi customer for these planes.
“Even after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gives the nod for this plane to fly again, India will conduct its own checks and we will require simulator training for all our pilots before allowing the B737 Max to take to the skies in India. These planes are unlikely to start flying again in India this year,” said a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Reacting to this, a Boeing spokesman said that it “continues to work with global regulators and our airline customers as they determine training requirements in their home market.”
A Lion Air Boeing 737 Max had crashed on October 29, 2018, killing all 189 on board. On March 10, 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines B737 Max crashed killing 157 people on board. By that time about 400 Max were flying globally and they all are grounded since March 13.
In India, SpiceJet has up to 205 of these planes on order, of which it had received 13. In addition, there were five Max once registered in the name of Jet Airways that ceased operations this April. Jet had ordered 225 B737 Max planes before shutting down.
India’s stand on the Boeing 737 Max was made clear by DGCA chief Arun Kumar at a conference of Asia-Pacific region aviation regulators, in Kathmandu last month. Kumar had told Boeing it has to “win back passenger confidence. Travellers must feel safe inside the Boeing 737 Max whenever it flies again.” He had told Boeing that the safety of the aircraft has to be established very clearly. Global regulators will do their own checks and validations and Boeing will also need to instil confidence of the flying public in this plane again, Kumar said.
13/09/19 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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“Even after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gives the nod for this plane to fly again, India will conduct its own checks and we will require simulator training for all our pilots before allowing the B737 Max to take to the skies in India. These planes are unlikely to start flying again in India this year,” said a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Reacting to this, a Boeing spokesman said that it “continues to work with global regulators and our airline customers as they determine training requirements in their home market.”
A Lion Air Boeing 737 Max had crashed on October 29, 2018, killing all 189 on board. On March 10, 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines B737 Max crashed killing 157 people on board. By that time about 400 Max were flying globally and they all are grounded since March 13.
In India, SpiceJet has up to 205 of these planes on order, of which it had received 13. In addition, there were five Max once registered in the name of Jet Airways that ceased operations this April. Jet had ordered 225 B737 Max planes before shutting down.
India’s stand on the Boeing 737 Max was made clear by DGCA chief Arun Kumar at a conference of Asia-Pacific region aviation regulators, in Kathmandu last month. Kumar had told Boeing it has to “win back passenger confidence. Travellers must feel safe inside the Boeing 737 Max whenever it flies again.” He had told Boeing that the safety of the aircraft has to be established very clearly. Global regulators will do their own checks and validations and Boeing will also need to instil confidence of the flying public in this plane again, Kumar said.
13/09/19 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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