Only Crew With Minimum 1,000 Hours’ Experience Can Fly Boeing 737 Max Aircraft- DGCA Issues Guidelines To Spice And Jet

India’ s civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday (Mar 12) issued additional safety instructions to two Indian carriers that operate the Boeing 737 Max aircraft. As per the DGCA guidelines, pilots of SpiceJet and Jet Airways should have at least 1,000 hours of flying experience to command these planes.

Taking serious note of the second catastrophic crash involving a 737 MAX plane globally in less than five months, the civil aviation ministry also ordered an immediate “safety assessment” of these aircraft and the Indian regulator is also holding consultation with other safety regulators around the world.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that interim safety measures are in accordance with inputs available at this stage.

“The minimum experience level of crew operating B-737 Max aircraft to fly as PIC (Pilot-in-Command) is 1,000 hours and co-pilot is 500 hours on Boeing 737 NG aircraft type,” the regulator said.

A Boeing 737 MAX , operated by Ethiopian Airlines, crashed on Sunday (10 March) killing all 157 people on board. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 MAX, took off at 08:38 am Ethiopian local time on Sunday from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and lost contact at 08:44 am. It crashed around Bishoftu town, some 45 km from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa,

On 29 October 2018, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air, crashed into the Java sea soon after take-off from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.

In India, SpiceJet and Jet Airways have the B737 Max in their fleet. SpiceJet currently has 13 of them flying while Jet has five operational, though some have been grounded due to severe financial troubles that the airline has been facing. Both airlines have placed orders for over 200 B737 Max planes each.

SpiceJet and Jet Airways have been asked to ensure various requirements are complied with by engineering and maintenance personnel with respect to 737 MAX 8 planes.

The regulator also stipulated conditions that Minimum Equipment List (MEL) would not be released for operating an aircraft in case dual auto pilot mode and certain other parts are inoperative.

Any error which comes across would have to be rectified before releasing the aircraft for line maintenance as well as ensuring that angle of attack’ (AOA) is in null position.

Generally, AOA is crucial in determining the angle at which an aircraft flies relative to the direction of air.

“The DGCA will continue to closely monitor the situation and may impose/ take any other operational/ maintenance measures/ restrictions based on the information received from accident investigation agency/ FAA (Federal Aviation Administration/ Boeing,” the statement said.

The operators have to ensure that no MAX aircraft in their fleet is operated without compliance with DGCA’s latest directions with effect from 1200 hours on March 12, the statement said.

The aviation regulator had said on Monday that it will seek information from Boeing as well as Jet Airways and SpiceJet, which operate the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has asked aviation watchdog DGCA to undertake safety assessment of Boeing 737 MAX planes operated by domestic airlines.

“Safety of the passengers is our utmost concern. Directed Secretary and DGCA to take appropriate action immediately,” Prabhu said in a tweet.

Jet Airways has placed orders for 225 737 MAX planes with Boeing and some have already been delivered.

SpiceJet, which has embarked on ambitious expansion plans, has a deal with Boeing for up to 205 aircraft, including at least 155 737 MAX 8 planes.