Indian airline Vistara expresses confidence in receiving its final Boeing 787 wide-body jet by March or April, unaffected by the recent Boeing 737 MAX 9 incident involving Alaska Airlines. Vistara’s CEO, Vinod Kannan, states that the company aims to achieve a fleet of 70 aircraft by March or April 2024, ahead of their initial target by the end of 2024.
Despite the Federal Aviation Administration’s grounding of 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplanes following a cabin panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight, Vistara remains optimistic. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India announces the successful completion of checks on Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft by domestic airlines.
The DGCA issued precautionary measures, instructing Indian operators with 737 Max 8 aircraft to inspect emergency exits following the incident. However, it is noted that Indian airlines do not operate the 737 Max 9 aircraft involved in the Alaska Airlines emergency landing.
Satisfactory checks have been reported on 737 Max 8 aircraft operated by Air India Express, Spicejet, and Akasa Air, with Spicejet confirming no adverse findings affecting its flight operations.
While Alaska Airlines and United Airlines ground their Boeing 737 Max 9 planes again, awaiting guidance on inspections, Vistara maintains confidence in its delivery schedule for the Boeing 787 wide-body jet.
