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Saturday, January 6, 2024

Alaska Airlines fallout: DGCA asks Indian carriers to immediately conduct one-time checks on emergency ex - IndiaTimes

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet 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," by noon on Sunday (Jan 7). The regulator issued this directive as an "abundant precautionary measure" following an Alaska Airlines B737-9 Max Friday saw a mid cabin emergency exit assembly and portion of the plane’s fuselage blow out shortly after take off in the US. The Portland-Ontario flight returned safely to the origin. No Indian carrier operates the B737-9 variant of the Max yet but they have the B737-8 Max in their fleets.
"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, we have directed all 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," said a senior DGCA official.
In a statement, Boeing said: "We are aware of the incident involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. We are working to gather more information and are in contact with our airline customer. A Boeing technical team stands ready to support the investigation."An Alaska Airlines B737-9 Max had made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport after a window and a portion of the plane’s fuselage blew out shortly after take-off. Following the incident, Alaska Airlines has grounded all of its Boeing 737-9 aircraft.
The three Indian carriers have 41 B737 MAX in their fleet as of now — Akasa (20); SpiceJet (12) and AI Express (9).

This is the second trouble for the aircraft with a chequered history in recent days. On December 31, 2023, Boeing had asked MAX operators globally to carry out safety checks on this aircraft after finding a loose bolt in one of the planes. Boeing has asked operators to inspect specific tie rods that control rudder movement for possible loose hardware. Among other things, rudder basically helps an aircraft turn left or right.


The MAX troubles are mounting at a time when another about 35 Airbus A320 neo family of planes with Pratt & Whitney’s snag-ridden GTF engines are set to be grounded for checks following the latest concern regarding these engines of metal powder contamination. Already about 50 IndiGo A320neos are grounded for months due to PW’s inability to supply replacement engines. If the MAX troubles worsen, along with PW’s unending GTF engine issues, India is staring at yet another capacity crunch that could mean fewer flights and higher airfares — something that’s seen last summer when GoAir had collapsed.
Regarding the latest Max issue, AI Express spokesperson said the airline is "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."
Akasa said in a statement: "…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…. at present, Akasa does not have any 737 Max-9 aircraft in its fleet which was the aircraft type involved in the incident."
A SpiceJet spokesperson said while the airline does not have any 737-9 Max in its fleet, it "will adhere by the DGCA directive on the Max-8."
Watch Alaska Airlines' mid-air terror: Passengers witness window blowout on Flight 1282; Boeing responds on the disaster of 737-9 fleet

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Alaska Airlines fallout: DGCA asks Indian carriers to immediately conduct one-time checks on emergency ex - IndiaTimes
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