Akasa ahoy: Boeing 737 Max may be allowed to fly again in India soon – Times of India
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NEW DELHI: India is likely to allow the grounded-since-March-2019 Boeing 737 Max to fly again within the country in coming weeks. Billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-promoted Akasa airline is planning to have a B737 Max fleet.
While SpiceJet, the only Indian carrier with B737 Max in its fleet, has so far not approached the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) seeking clearance for this aircraft to fly again, sources say Akasa informally approached aviation authorities for the same as it prepares to place an order for about 100 Max.
The Max has been allowed to fly again in several places like the US, EU and UAE after Boeing carried out required hardware and software modifications in them. Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been sharing technical details of the Max with the Indian DGCA.
The Max were globally grounded in March 2019 soon two Max crashed within five months. In all, 346 people lost their lives in these two crashes. As part of the simultaneous global grounding, India had barred the B737 Max from flying to/from/over it on March 13, 2019.
In all 18 Max — five ex-Jet and 13 of SpiceJet — were in India at that time. India had on April 20, 2021, paved the way for the Boeing 737 Max to overfly its airspace and also for foreign lessors of this aircraft to fly it out of here by taking permission from the DGCA. Since then the process of lessors flying out ex-Jet Max has started.
Boeing is currently seeking regulatory approvals from China also for Max to fly again there.
While SpiceJet, the only Indian carrier with B737 Max in its fleet, has so far not approached the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) seeking clearance for this aircraft to fly again, sources say Akasa informally approached aviation authorities for the same as it prepares to place an order for about 100 Max.
The Max has been allowed to fly again in several places like the US, EU and UAE after Boeing carried out required hardware and software modifications in them. Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been sharing technical details of the Max with the Indian DGCA.
The Max were globally grounded in March 2019 soon two Max crashed within five months. In all, 346 people lost their lives in these two crashes. As part of the simultaneous global grounding, India had barred the B737 Max from flying to/from/over it on March 13, 2019.
In all 18 Max — five ex-Jet and 13 of SpiceJet — were in India at that time. India had on April 20, 2021, paved the way for the Boeing 737 Max to overfly its airspace and also for foreign lessors of this aircraft to fly it out of here by taking permission from the DGCA. Since then the process of lessors flying out ex-Jet Max has started.
Boeing is currently seeking regulatory approvals from China also for Max to fly again there.
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