Aviation Minister Scindia to fly on SpiceJet's Boeing 737 Max to revive passenger trust

After two years of halt, the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday gave a green nod to SpiceJet Airways to fly the Boeing MAX 737 aircraft, which were grounded after the world witnessed two deadly crashes involving the same aircraft (Lion Airways 2018 and Ethiopia 2019).

SpiceJet is all set to restart its commercial flight operation for passengers after two years. To restore people's faith in respective model of aircraft, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia has announced that he will board the first flight upon resumption, along with the SpiceJet owners, who will board the flight with their families. The Union Minister will fly on the plane from Delhi to Gwalior.

Jyotiraditya Scindia and SpiceJet owners to board first flight of halted Boeing MAX 737

While speaking on the same, SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Ajay Singh told ANI, "The regulators from worldwide especially the United States, Europe and India had scrutinized multiple times and have finally given us the nod for commercial operations. We are ready to take off our flight for commercial passengers use."

He asserted that the Boeing 737 Max aircraft is fit for travel and to assure people of its safety, he along with Union Minister Scindia will travel in it.

"On the first flight from Delhi to Gwalior, we will be flying with several of our people and my family members are flying tomorrow with honourable Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia who will also be flying in 737 Max flight," he said.

After receiving serious software complaints, India's civil aviation regulator DGCA had earlier grounded the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, but SpiceJet's CMD has now breathed a sigh of relief as the aircraft has returned to flight.

"737 Max is the safest aircraft in the world, the software rectification was made more than two and half years ago and it has been scrutinized for two years by the regulators around the world. The aircraft has been flying for the last one year in the United States, Europe, Australia and South America and different parts of the world. It has already flown close to 600,000 hours and more than 250,000 commercial flights and this aircraft has no problem after all the scrutiny," SpiceJet CMD said.

SpiceJet currently operates 13 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, with 205 more on order, with deliveries beginning in December, according to the firm. SpiceJet has suffered a loss of crores due to the halt on operations of the Max aircraft, for which it has requested reimbursement from Boeing.

"I am not at liberty to disclose the settlement details, but whatever loss has been caused to SpiceJet, has been compensated by The Boeing Company," said the CMD.

With ANI Inputs

Image: PTI