This move of the aviation regulator comes after they were found not trained properly.
This move of the aviation regulator comes after they were found not trained properly.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has barred 90 SpiceJet pilots from flying the airline’s Boeing 737 MAX planes after they found faults at a simulator training center in Noida.
A DGCA official said, “We have stopped these pilots from flying the Max and they will have to successfully back down from flying these aircraft.” Strict action will be taken against those found responsible for the lapse, the official said.
“The DGCA had made an observation on the training profile for 90 pilots, and therefore as per the advice of DGCA, SpiceJet has banned 90 pilots from operating MAX aircraft till these pilots are re-elected to the satisfaction of DGCA. Do not go through training. These pilots will continue to be available for other Boeing 737 aircraft,” SpiceJet said in a statement.
The low-cost airline tried to minimize the impact of this action on its flights.
“SpiceJet currently operates 11 MAX aircraft and around 144 pilots are required to operate these 11 aircraft. Of the 650 trained pilots on MAX, 560 are still available, which is much higher than the current requirement.
Boeing 737 MAX plane grounded in India On March 13, 2019, three days after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX plane crash near Addis Ababa, in which 157 people, including four Indians, were killed.
The ban on aircraft was lifted in August last year. After DGCA was satisfied with the necessary software improvements to the aircraft of US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
The DGCA’s stipulations for lifting the ban on MAX aircraft after a period of 27 months also included proper pilot training on the simulator.
, With inputs from PTI,