B737 MAX planes in India to undergo safety assessment
NEWDELHI: Civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu has asked aviation watchdog DGCA to undertake safety assessment of Boeing 737 MAX planes operated by domestic airlines. The direction comes a day after a 737 MAX aircraft, operated by Ethiopian Airlines, crashed killing 157 people.
Jet Airways and Spicejet have 737 MAX aircraft in their fleet.
China and Indonesia grounded their fleets of Boeing’s 737 MAX 8 aircraft on Monday, and investigators recovered the black box from the crash, the second disaster in less than five months i nvolving the new model. Ethiopian Airlines, too, grounded all its Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, said a spokesman.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday spoke to the families of the four Indians who lost their lives in the crash, and assured the families of assistance from the Indian High Commission in Ethiopia and Kenya.
“I have spoken to the bereaved family members of Shikha Garg, Manisha and Vaidyas. Please be assured that Indian missions in Ethiopia and Kenya are there to help you in all matters including identification of their remains a nd b e l o ngi ngs , ” S waraj tweeted.
Garg was a UNDP consultant attached to the environment ministry and was on her way to Nairobi to be a part of an annual conference at United Nations E n v i r o n ment As s e mbl y (UNEA).
Three other Indians killed in the crash are Vaidya Pannagesh Bhaskar, Vaidya Hansin Annagesh and Nukavarapu Manisha.
In a tweet, Prabhu said he has directed officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to undertake “safety assessment” of Boeing 737-MAX planes being flown by domestic carriers.
“Safety of the passengers is our utmost concern. Directed Secretary and DGCA to take appropriate action immediately,” Prabhu said in a tweet.
The incident on Sunday was the second time in less than five months that a 737 MAX 8 plane crashed. In October 2018, an air-