New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA will seek information from Boeing as well as Mumbai-based Jet Airways and Gurgaon-based SpiceJet operating Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft after the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday, according to a senior official. A Boeing 737 MAX plane operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed soon after taking off from Addis Ababa around 8.30 am on Sunday morning, killing all 157 on board. Four Indians were among the passengers killed.
The DGCA will seek information from Boeing and Indian carriers operating Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in India, according to the official. These include Jet Airways and SpiceJet whose flights have not been curtailed so far. SpiceJet is continuing to operate all 13 jets of this model.
The aviation watchdog is expected to address concerns on the use of the aircraft model this afternoon. China’s aviation authorities have grounded their Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets after the crash. This is the second disaster involving the Boeing 737 Max 8 in the last few months.
In October, a Lion Air plane crashed into the sea off the Indonesian capital of Jakarta 13 minutes after take-off, killing all 189 onboard. It was the worst aviation disaster in Indonesia in more than two decades.
The 737 MAX 8 is a new model from the US aircraft manufacturer’s best-selling 737, which has been operating since 1967. More than 300 Boeing 737-MAX planes are in operation and more than 5,000 have been ordered worldwide since 2017. In a statement, Boeing said it would help with investigations into the Ethiopian crash.
“We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team. A Boeing technical team will be travelling to the crash site to provide technical assistance under the direction of the Ethiopia Accident Investigation Bureau and US National Transportation Safety Board,” said the plane-maker. Boeing was quoted by reports as saying that the 737 MAX 8 was as safe as any airplane that has ever flown the skies.