In the wake of the recent mid-cabin emergency exit incident involving an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 Max, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has instructed Indian carriers, including Air India Express, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet, to conduct a one-time inspection of emergency exits on all Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft in their fleets. This directive is a precautionary measure, considering the recent incident in the US.
The Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 Max experienced a mid-air emergency, leading to a blown-out window and part of the fuselage after takeoff. Following this incident, Alaska Airlines grounded all its Boeing 737-9 aircraft.
While no Indian carrier operates the B737-9 variant, there are 42 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the fleets of Air India Express (10), Akasa (20), and SpiceJet (12). This safety directive follows Boeing’s recent global request for operators to conduct safety checks due to a loose bolt found in one of the planes.
In addition to the ongoing challenges with the Boeing 737 MAX, concerns over the grounding of about 35 Airbus A320 neo aircraft with Pratt & Whitney engines are surfacing. These issues could lead to a capacity crunch, affecting flight schedules and potentially raising airfares.
