• Source:JND
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DGCA, the aviation regulator, has directed all the domestic airlines on Saturday to carry out an inspection of the emergency exits of all Boeing 737-8 Max planes in their fleet. It has directed that the one-time emergency exit checks on the Boeing 737 Max should be mandatorily carried out by all operators. The directive from the DGCA comes in the wake of the Alaska Airlines incident that involved Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft. 

The Alaska Airlines plane's outer section, including a window, fell off mid-air on Friday. According to news agency PTI, a senior DGCA official said that the latest directive is an abundant precautionary measure.

"DGCA has directed all the 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," the official said.

The official also said that, pursuant to the Alaska Airlines incident involving Boeing 737 -9 Max aircraft, there have been no inputs or guidance from Boeing so far.

On being asked whether flight schedules could be impacted by the inspection, the official replied in the negative.

"No, these one-time checks will be done during the night halt of aircraft," the official said.

Presently, Air India Express, Spicejet, and Akasa Air have Boeing 737-8 Max planes in their fleets.

There was no immediate comment from Boeing on the directive issued by the DGCA. "We do not have any 737-9 Max in our fleet. SpiceJet will adhere to the DGCA directive on the Max-8," a SpiceJet spokesperson said as quoted by news agency PTI.

An Akasa Air spokesperson said that, at present, the airline does not have any 737-9 Max aircraft in its fleet which was the aircraft type involved in the Alaska Airlines incident.

"Even though the incident has occurred with another airline in the US, we are in contact with the aircraft manufacturer and regulators to proactively monitor developments and will follow any guidance issued by them," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"We are 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," the spokesperson of Air India Express said in a statement. 

"Our unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our guests and crew remains paramount," the statement added.

(With input from agencies)