SpiceJet gets DGCA notice over improper training of 90 pilots

Indian aviation regulator DGCA has issued show-cause notices to SpiceJet and training organisation CSTPL for not imparting proper training to 90 pilots on the 737 Max simulator, officials said on Thursday.

Earlier this week, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) barred 90 SpiceJet pilots from operating Boeing 737 Max aircraft after finding them not properly trained.

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The officials said the stick shaker -- an equipment that vibrates when the aircraft is unable to lift itself -- was not functioning in the Max simulator of CAE Simulation Training Pvt Ltd (CSTPL) when the aforementioned pilots were getting trained.

Therefore, the DGCA has issued show-cause notices to SpiceJet and CSTPL, they added.

In a statement, a SpiceJet spokesperson said, "We have received a communication from the regulator on the matter and the airline shall submit its reply within the specified period." "We would like to reiterate that safety and security of our operations and passengers are of utmost importance which is manifested in our outstanding track record. None of our operations are compromised and they are in line with the international safety standards," the spokesperson added.

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The 90 pilots have to undergo training again in a proper manner on the Max simulator.

The Boeing 737 Max planes were grounded in India by the DGCA on March 13, 2019, three days after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max aircraft near Addis Ababa which killed 157 people, including four Indians.

The ban on the planes was lifted in August last year after the DGCA was satisfied with US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing's necessary software rectifications in the aircraft.

Proper pilot training on the simulator was also among the conditions set by the DGCA for removing the ban on the Max planes after a span of 27 months.

SpiceJet is the only Indian airline that has the Max aircraft in its fleet.

Akasa Air, the new airline backed by ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and aviation veterans Aditya Ghosh and Vinay Dube, had in November last year signed a deal with Boeing to purchase 72 Max planes. Akasa Air is yet to receive any of these planes.