India’s regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation will go it alone and determine at its own pace when and if the Boeing 737 Max plane can fly again.
After the US Federal Aviation Administration clears the jet, India will begin its own assessments and demand simulator training for pilots before it grant airworthiness.
However that will be next year at the earliest, according to a DGCA official.
It will join the European Aviation Safety Agency in conducting its own flight tests and may have a ‘phased’ return to service depending on the outcome of assessments conducted by other global regulators.
The Boeing 737 Max has been grounded since March 2019 after two fatal crashes linked to a faulty MCAS flight control system.
Indian budget carrier Spicejet is one of Boeing’s biggest Max customers with its fleet of Max planes grounded and more than 200 more on order.
