India tightens rules for Boeing 737 Max
India's civil aviation regulator has further tightened the rules relating to operations of Boeing 737 Max aircraft on Monday a day after a fatal crash of one such plane of the Ethiopian Airlines killing all 157 people on board.
A pilot commanding a Boeing 737 MAX must have at least 1,000 hours of flying experience on such an aircraft while the co-pilot must have at least 500 hours of experience, said an official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of India.
The DGCA also sought stricter checks on the equipment on board these aircraft, especially the autopilot and other computer systems. The directorate had first tightened norms for these aircraft following the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX belonging to Indonesia's Lion Air in October last year.
“We are reviewing the matter … and safety instructions are being issued,” said a senior DGCA official.
Amid growing safety concerns, four countries, including China and Indonesia, have decided to ground such jets.
Private Indian carriers SpiceJet and IndiGo use Boeing 737 MAX while Jet Airways' fleet has been grounded due to payment problems. SpiceJet has 11 such aircraft while Jet has five.
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