India’s aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has grounded the Boeing 737 Max aircraft with immediate effect.
With this move, India joins a list of major countries that have grounded the hottest selling model of the U.S. manufacturer’s most important plane after Sunday’s deadly crash.
Why is Boeing 737 Max Being Grounded?
On Sunday, an Ethiopian Airlines B-737 MAX on a flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi crashed, killing all 157 on board.
While accidents can happen due to multiple reasons but there are some serious concerns.
This is the second disaster involving a very new model in less than five months and has raised questions on its safety.
Decision Came Late Night on Tuesday
India’s move comes after the European Aviation Safety Agency also grounded 737 Max flights across the region.
DGCA has taken the decision to ground the Boeing 737-MAX planes immediately. These planes will be grounded till appropriate modifications and safety measures are undertaken to ensure their safe operations. (1/2)
— MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) March 12, 2019
The agency said it was acting out of an abundance of caution and out of concern for passenger safety.
The 737 MAX is the fastest selling airplane in Boeing’s history. In India, SpiceJet has 13 737 MAX 8 planes and Jet Airways has 8 such aircraft in their fleets.
Jet Airways fleet was already grounded due to the financial woes of the airline.
Impact on Indian Aviation Sector
The grounding of these 12 aircraft will lead to cancellations and increase fares further in the domestic sector. Fares in the domestic sector are already high on account of flight cancellations by Jet Airways and IndiGo.
