Boeing 737 MAX landed after a test flight on a Boeing flight in Seattle, Washington, USA, June 29, 2020. REUTERS / Karen Ducey / File Photo
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BENGALORU, April 13 (Reuters) – Indian budget carrier SpiceJet Ltd (SPJT.NS) said on Wednesday that the country’s aviation regulator had asked 90 of its pilots to refrain from flying Boeing 737 MAXs until they are retrained.
SpiceJet, which currently operates 11 MAX aircraft and has 144 pilots to operate them, said the pilots were restricted from operating the aircraft until they retrained to satisfy the Directorate-General for Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Indian media reported that the restrictions were imposed after defects were found in a simulator facility near Delhi, where they were trained for the Boeing aircraft.
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The pilots remain available for other Boeing 737s and the restriction does not affect MAX operations, a SpiceJet spokesman said.
The airline is Boeing’s largest customer in the South Asian nation of MAX aircraft.
“We work closely with all parties involved, including our supplier and the DGCA, to ensure that the maintenance and operation of this particular device meets all regulatory requirements,” Boeing said in a statement.
“We are committed to ensuring that our customers receive high-quality simulation experiences in accordance with all regulations.”
The pilots need to be retrained successfully and we will take strong action against those responsible for the omission, said Arun Kumar, Director General of the Indian Air Security Service DGCA.
In August, the regulator allowed the 737 MAX to fly after nearly two and a half years of regulatory grounding after two fatal crashes in 2019. read more
As part of the conditions for putting the aircraft back into operation, Boeing and regulators have agreed to step up pilot training to include simulator training.
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Report by Chandini Monnapa and Nalur Seturaman in Bengaluru and Aditi Shah in New Delhi; edited by Uttaresh.V and Bernard Orr
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