Boeing 737 MAX 8 are getting grounded across multiple countries due to the recent Ethiopian airline crash in which 149 passengers and 8 crew members were killed. This is the second crash involving the Boeing’s 737 MAX 8 plane.
Last Year in October a Lion Air’s 737 Max also met with an accident which also resulted in the death of all crew and passenger.
Therefore, to ensure public safety multiple countries including India, the European Union and U.K. are grounding the services of all Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.
Spice and Jetairways, Two private airlines currently operating in India are the only two airlines operating the 737 MAX 8 aircraft. And after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
The DGCA in a statement said, “Boeing 737 Max operations Will stop from/to all Indian airport’s. Additionally no B737 Max aircraft will be allowed to enter or transit the Indian airspace effective 1600hrs Indian time or 1030 UTC. ”
In continuation to the decision of DGCA to ground the B737 Max operations, further clarification follows.
B737Max operations Will stop from/to all Indian airport’s. (1/2)— Ministry of Civil Aviation (@MoCA_GoI) March 13, 2019
Additionally no B737 Max aircraft will be allowed to enter or transit Indian airspace effective 1600hrs IST or 1030 UTC. The time line is to cater to situations where aircraft can be positioned at maintenance facilities & international flights can reach their destinations.(2/2)
— Ministry of Civil Aviation (@MoCA_GoI) March 13, 2019
Spicejet was currently operating 8 737 Max aircraft and will be heavily affected by this recent ban. In a statement, they said, “SpiceJet has suspended Boeing 737 Max operations following the DGCA’s decision to ground the aircraft. Safety and security of our passengers, crew and operations are of utmost importance to us and we will be working with the regulator and the manufacturer to attain normalcy in our operations. We are confident of accommodating the vast majority of our passengers and minimise inconvenience.”
But even after multiple countries are grounding the aircraft, the US Federal Aviation Administration has cleared the 737 Max and said that aircraft is safe to operate. There are currently no plans on grounding any 737 Max planes in the US.
UPDATED #FAA Statement regarding @Boeing 737 MAX. pic.twitter.com/HxObBr7qRf
— The FAA (@FAANews) March 12, 2019
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