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DGCA asks airlines to conduct inspection after Alaska aircraft’s door blows out
DGCA directed all Indian air operators to carry out one-time inspection of the emergency exits immediately on all Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft currently operating.
New Delhi: Civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday asked airlines to conduct a one-time inspection of all the Boeing 737-8 aircraft in their fleet after an Alaska Airline flight made an emergency landing after one of its doors blew open mid-air on Friday.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737-9 Max, was flying from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California. The airline had grounded all its B737 Max 9 for checks.
While India doesn’t have B737-9 Max aircraft in its fleet, currently there are 43 B737 MAX planes in the fleet of various airlines in India. These include 22 of them with Akasa Air, 13 with SpiceJet B737 and eight with Air India Express.
DGCA’s statement issued on Saturday clarified that Boeing had not shared inputs so far.
The statement said, “Pursuant to the Alaska Airlines incident involving Boeing 737 -9 Max aircraft, there have been no inputs /guidance from Boeing so far. None of the Indian air operators have Boeing 737-9 Max as part of their fleet yet.”
“However, as an abundant precautionary measure, DGCA has directed all the Indian air operators to carry out a one-time inspection of the emergency exits immediately on all Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft currently operating as part of their fleet,” the DGCA said.
“We do not have any 737-9 Max in our fleet. SpiceJet will adhere to the DGCA directive on the Max-8,” a SpiceJet spokesperson said.
“We are aware of the incident in the USA, involving Alaska Airlines flight 1282 on 5 January 2024, and are heartened to read that the aircraft landed safely and that all passengers and crew are safe. For us at Akasa Air, safety is of utmost importance. We pride ourselves in pursuing the highest global standards of safety. Even though the incident has occurred with another airline in the USA, we are in contact with the aircraft manufacturer and regulators to proactively monitor developments and will follow any guidance issued by them. We can confirm that, at present, Akasa Air does not have any 737 Max-9 aircraft in its fleet which was the aircraft type involved in the incident,” said a spokesperson of Akasa.
An Air India Express spokesperson said,""We are aware of the recent incident involving a Boeing aircraft of Alaska Air. The aircraft involved is a different variant from the B737-8 operated by Air India Express. We are in touch with Boeing for more information regarding this, as well with our regulators and will comply with any advisory. Our unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our guests and crew remains paramount."
Last week, the aircraft manufacturer issued a recommendation to inspect all the B737 Max fleet, after an international operator discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance.
In a statement issued on December 29, Boeing said the issue identified on the particular airplane has been remedied. “The issue identified on the particular airplane has been remedied. Out of an abundance of caution, we are recommending operators inspect their 737 MAX airplanes and inform us of any findings. We have informed the FAA and will continue to keep them aware of our progress,” their statement said.
