90 SpiceJet pilots barred from flying Boeing 737 Max planes after training lapse

NEW DELHI, (THE HINDU): The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has barred 90 pilots of SpiceJet from flying the airline’s Boeing 737 MAX planes after finding lapses at a simulator training centre in Noida.

“We have barred these pilots from flying MAX and they have to retrain successfully from flying these planes,” a DGCA official said. The official added that strict action would be taken against those found responsible for the lapse.

“DGCA had an observation on the training profile followed for 90 pilots, and therefore as per the advice of DGCA, SpiceJet has restricted 90 pilots from operating MAX aircraft until these pilots undergo retraining to the satisfaction of DGCA. These pilots continue to remain available for other Boeing 737 aircraft,” SpiceJet said in a statement.

The low-cost airline tried to downplay the impact of this action on its flights.

“SpiceJet currently operates 11 MAX aircraft and about 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,” it said.

The Boeing 737 Max planes were 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 aircraft near Addis Ababa, which killed 157 people, including four Indians.

The ban on the planes was lifted in August last year after the DGCA was satisfied with US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing’s necessary software rectifications in the aircraft.

Proper pilot training on the simulator was also among the conditions of the DGCA for removing the ban on the Max planes after a span of 27 months. (THE HINDU)

( With inputs from PTI)