Nearly 32 months after its fleet was grounded following the twin air crashes involving the aircraft, low-cost carrier SpiceJet on Tuesday brought back Boeing 737 Max aircraft in its operational fleet and flew a special flight from New Delhi to Gwalior with the Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on board.
In 2017, SpiceJet had signed a deal with Boeing for up to 205 aircraft, and 13 of these planes had joined the airline's fleet when two major accidents involving 737 Max occurred, leading to airlines globally grounding their aircraft over safety concerns.
The first crash of a Lion Air flight in Indonesia had killed 189 people in October 2018, and the second crash of Ethiopian Airlines on March 10 had killed 157.
In November 2020, following changes in design, software and crew training, the American regulator Federal Aviation Administration had cleared the decks for 737 Max to return to the skies.
In the past year, 32 airlines have brought back these planes in their operational fleets.
Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet said, “I am extremely excited to see the 737 MAX, the mainstay of our fleet, back into operations. The return of the MAX will be a game-changer for SpiceJet and allow us to offer a vastly superior flying experience to our passengers. After the intense scrutiny, this aircraft has gone through, I can say with full confidence that it’s the safest aircraft to fly.”
