Boeing 737 Max gets nod to fly

Lifting nearly two-and-ahalf years of ban, the country's aviation regulator on Thursday allowed commercial flight operations of Boeing 737 Max planes.

All 737 Max planes were grounded in India by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on March 13, 2019, three days after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max plane near Addis Ababa which killed 157 people, including four Indians. In October 2018, a 737 Max plane operated by Lion Air had crashed in Indonesia, killing 180 people. The 737 Max was grounded worldwide in March 2019.

Boeing has been modifying the 737 Max plane since March 2019 so that various countries' regulators, including the DGCA, permit its passenger flight operations again.

In Thursday's order, the DGCA said the planes' operation is permitted "only upon satisfaction of applicable requirements for return to service."

Around 175 countries have allowed the 737 Max to return to service, with 30 airlines already restarting their Max aircraft services.

In India, low-cost carrier SpiceJet, the secondlargest airline by market share, said it expects 737 Max jets in its fleet to return to service next month following a settlement struck with lessor Avolon on leases of the aircraft.

SpiceJet is the only airline in India having Boeing 737 Max in its fleet, with the airline grounding 12 aircraft on the day of ban in 2019.

Jet Airways also had five Max planes in its fleet but they were grounded prior to March 13 over non-payment of dues to the lessors.

With a total of 13 of its 737 Max planes grounded, SpiceJet had earlier said that it was in talks with Boeing for compensation towards costs and losses it had suffered.