In the wake of the recent Ethiopian airlines crash, aviation regulator DGCA on Monday issued additional safety instructions for Boeing 737 MAX planes operating in the country.
Issuing the notice to SpiceJet and Jet Airways, the two carriers of Boeing 737 MAX in India, DGCA directed that the plane should be operated by a pilot with at least 1,000 hours of flying experience on such an aircraft while the co-pilot must have at least 500 hours of experience.
“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/ Boeing,” the regulator said in a statement.
ALSO READ: India and the US want concerted action against terror from Pakistan
SpiceJet has 12 such aircraft while Jet has five.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in advisory to B737 MAX operators after Ethiopia Crash: This is 2nd fatal accident to B-737 max aircraft within a span of 5 months. At present, 2 Indian carriers, SpiceJet (12 aircraft) & Jet Airways (5 aircraft) have these aircraft pic.twitter.com/MQpzKM3I93
— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2019
On Monday, four countries — China, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Cayman Islands — grounded their fleets of B-737 MAX jets after two deadly crash — in October 2018, a Boeing 737 crashed in Indonesia in which 189 people lost their lives and the Ethiopian Airlines crash that claimed lives of 157 passengers and crew members.
The 737 MAX 8 is a new model from the US aircraft manufacturer’s best-selling 737, which has been operating since 1967.