SpiceJet has confirmed taking 90 737 MAX pilots off active flying duties after the Indian aviation regulator asked the airline to do so in April. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered the ban after it found faults with the simulators used by the airline during a surveillance check. The airline confirmed the grounding while replying to the Bombay Stock Exchange, which sought clarification on the matter from SpiceJet.
Sr. VP (Legal) & Company Secretary for SpiceJet, Chandan Sand, said in a statement:
“The Company has 650 pilots trained on MAX aircraft and DGCA had an observation on the training profile followed for 90 pilots. As per the advise of DGCA, the Company restricted these 90 pilots from operating MAX aircraft, until these pilots undergo re-training to the satisfaction of DGCA. This restriction does not impact the operations of MAX aircraft and the Company has adequate trained pilots available for its operations. Basis the observation of DGCA these 90 pilots shall undergo re-training. DGCA has imposed penalty of Rs.10 lakh (Rs. 10,000,000) basis its audit observations.”
90 MAX pilots barred from flying
SpiceJet is the only Indian carrier to operate Boeing’s 737 MAX planes, and for this purpose, has around 650 pilots trained on the aircraft. However, the airline only has 13 MAX aircraft in its fleet, out of which, only 11 are currently operational. The airline said it only needs around 144 pilots to operate the 60 daily flights it has scheduled on MAX airframes.
A spokesperson for the airline told The Times of India,
“About 144 pilots are required to manage 11 aircraft. SpiceJet has currently 560 trained pilots in MAX. The trained pilot strength is more than sufficient for continuing normal operations.”
Sequence of events
In early April, the Indian aviation watchdog conducted checks at the training facilities of CAE Simulation Training Pvt. Ltd. and found malfunctioning or faulty equipment being used for training pilots. The DGCA immediately issued a show-cause notice to the airline and banned 90 MAX pilots found to be trained on faulty simulators from active flying duties.
The regulator then conducted a thorough investigation and assessed SpiceJet’s response to the aforementioned show-cause notice. Finding the response unsatisfactory, the DGCA imposed a fine of ₹1,000,000 (approximately $12,900) on the carrier and also began scrutinizing its general training procedures.
Fool me once…
The 737 MAX had been famously grounded in 2019 following two deadly crashes that occurred due to sensor failures. Investigators later found that additional pilot training was required to make pilots familiar with the changes in the MAX over older 737 aircraft.
Coming to SpiceJet’s case; the DGCA found that several simulator components like the stick-shaker for the co-pilot were not working for a long time. In addition, The Times of India has also claimed that the infamous MCAS (maneuvering characteristics augmentation system) was also found to be faulty in the training simulator. By barring the pilots that were trained on these faulty simulators, the DGCA is taking no chances with aircraft safety in Indian skies.
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What do you make of the DGCA’s decision to ban these MAX pilots from flying any aircraft before redoing the training course? Do you think it’s a step too far or the bare minimum? Please, let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Source: The Times of India