DGCA rescinds ban on Boeing 737 MAX aircraft

On Tuesday, India-based air safety regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), said that it had cleared Boeing Co’s 737 MAX aircraft to fly with immediate effect. Earlier, DGCA had stopped operations of Boeing 737 MAX operations in India with effect from March 2019.

SpiceJet has 13 MAX in its scheduled flights. The Gurugram’s airline averred that it has entered into a “settlement” with a lessor of Boeing 737 Max planes- Avolon. The airline mentioned in an official note that it hopes to see these MAX aircraft flying again soon.

On April 20, 2021, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) lifted a partial ban on Boeing 737 Max aircraft in India, and has now permitted the international airlines to operate inside the national air space. Additionally, the aviation regulator has uplifted the curbs partially on the grounded 737 Max in India on the condition of its fleet of ‘operational readiness.’

“This is for those overflying and those being readied for return to service. These are the grounded aircraft belonging to lessors that have been exempted and can be flown away from India,” a senior official told Moneycontrol, a news media outlet in India.

India-based SpiceJet operates an overall of 13 Boeing 737 Max aircraft. However, these flights have been grounded with effect from 2019. The aircraft was imposed to take its fleet of all 737 Max aircraft, the same model associated with the twin attack.