DGCA bars 90 SpiceJet pilots from working Boeing 737 Max planes, cites ‘improper coaching’

By PTI

NEW DELHI: Indian aviation regulator DGCA has barred 90 SpiceJet pilots from working the Boeing 737 Max plane after discovering them not correctly skilled.

“For the moment, we have barred these pilots from flying the Max and they have to retrain successfully for flying the aircraft,” DGCA chief Arun Kumar stated in an announcement.

He additionally stated that the regulator will take “strict action against those found responsible for the lapse.”

The pilots must endure coaching once more, in a correct method, on the Max simulator.

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The Boeing 737 Max planes have been grounded in India by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on March 13, 2019, three days after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max plane close to Addis Ababa, which killed 157 folks, together with 4 Indians.

The ban on the planes was lifted in August final yr after the DGCA was glad with US-based plane producer Boeing’s crucial software program rectifications within the plane.

Proper pilot coaching on the simulator was additionally among the many circumstances of the DGCA for eradicating the ban on the Max planes after a span of 27 months.

A SpiceJet spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed that the DGCA has restricted 90 pilots of the airline from flying the Max planes.

SpiceJet has 650 pilots skilled on the Boeing 737 Max.

The DGCA had an commentary on the coaching profile adopted for 90 pilots, and due to this fact, as per the advise of the DGCA, SpiceJet has restricted 90 pilots from working the Max plane, till these pilots endure re-training to the satisfaction of the DGCA.

These pilots proceed to stay accessible for different Boeing 737 plane,” the spokesperson stated.

This restriction doesn’t impression the operations of the Max plane in anyway.

SpiceJet, presently, operates 11 Max plane and about 144 pilots are required to function these plane, the spokesperson stated.

“Of the 650 skilled pilots on the Max, 560 proceed to stay accessible, which is way more than the present requirement,” the spokesperson stated.

SpiceJet is the one Indian airline that has the Max plane in its fleet.

Akasa Air, the brand new airline backed by ace investor Jhunjhunwala and aviation veterans Aditya Ghosh and Vinay Dube, had in November final yr signed a take care of Boeing to buy 72 Max planes.

Akasa Air has not received any of those planes as but.