In a recent turn of events, it has been revealed that Reliance Industries Ltd., controlled by Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, owns the Boeing 737-9 Max variant, the same type that encountered a mid-flight fuselage section blowout during an Alaska Airlines flight.
Reliance Industries is the sole owner of a corporate jet with a Boeing 737-9 Max variant featuring a plugged mid-cabin exit door, as indicated by data from flight data provider Cirium.
Although the Alaska Airlines incident did not result in fatalities, it has raised concerns about the safety of this particular Boeing model, prompting several carriers to ground their fleets temporarily. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued orders to halt certain Max 9 aircraft temporarily for inspections.
Reliance Industries added the Boeing 737-9 Max to its corporate fleet last year, registered as T7-LOTUS, adorned in Reliance livery. As of now, there has been no response from Reliance Industries regarding this development.
Apart from the Boeing 737-9 Max, Reliance has various other jets in its corporate fleet, including two Embraer SA ERJ 145 aircraft and one Airbus SE A319. Additionally, the company possesses two helicopters, a Dauphin and a Sikorsky.
Mukesh Ambani, with a net worth of $97.5 billion, stands as Asia’s richest individual.
It’s noteworthy that several carriers, including Alaska Air, United Airlines, and Copa Airlines, have grounded dozens of jets with the mid-cabin door plugged up. The Boeing 737-9 Max, known for its modular fuselage layouts, allows for emergency doors to be installed variably based on seat configuration, providing flexibility in cabin design.
As concerns over the safety of this Boeing model continue, it remains to be seen how aviation authorities and companies will address the issue.
By Bloomberg
