Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, April 13: Due to difficulties with their simulator training, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has restricted 90 SpiceJet pilots from flying Boeing 737 Max aircraft until they complete the appropriate 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.
SpiceJet is the only Indian airline to fly the Boeing 737 MAX, with 650 pilots trained for the aircraft. It has 11 of these planes in its fleet. Akasa Air, owned by billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, has ordered 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to begin operations this summer.
“The restriction will not impact 60 daily flight operations by MAX aircraft.144 pilots are required to operate these 11 aircraft. Of the 650 trained pilots on the MAX, 560 continue to remain available, which is much more than the current requirement,” the spokesperson added.
The Boeing 737 MAX was reintroduced into service in December 2020, two years after they were grounded following the fatal tragedies of Lion Air in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines in 2019. The crashes were blamed on a malfunctioning flight management system designed to keep the plane from stalling as it ascended. The automated system was discovered to have pulled the plane’s nose down.
Boeing was later ordered by US aviation authorities to overhaul the jets and establish new pilot training methods. In India, the Boeing 737 MAX ban was lifted in 2021.
