New Delhi: All Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft would be grounded in India today, said a senior official of Indian aviation watchdog DGCA.
The decision came days after a 737 MAX 8 aircraft operated by the Ethiopian Airlines crashed near Addis Ababa killing 157 people, including four Indians.
On Tuesday night, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced its decision to ground the aircraft that are currently being used by airline companies in India.
“We will ground all Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, which are currently in use by Indian airlines, by 4 pm today,” the DGCA official said this morning.
SpiceJet has around 12 such aircraft in its fleet. Jet Airways has five, which have been grounded already.
In a statement today, SpiceJet said, “SpiceJet has suspended Boeing 737 Max operations following DGCA’s decision to ground the aircraft.”
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Ministry will hold a meeting with airlines at 4 pm today to prepare a contingency plan as a number of flights have been cancelled following the grounding of Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.