DGCA To Inspect Boeing 737-8 Max Planes After Window Falls Off Alaska Airlines Flight Mid Air - Watch

New Delhi: Following an incident where a window of an Alaska Airlines flight fell off mid-air, the DGCA has instructed domestic airlines to conduct a one-time inspection of the emergency exits of all Boeing 737-8 Max planes in their fleets. The aviation regulator said the inspection was an abundant precautionary measure and would not affect the flight schedules. The DGCA official said that all Indian air operators had to complete the inspection of the emergency exits of the Boeing 737-8 Max planes by noon on January 7. The inspection would be done during the night halt of the aircraft, the official added.

The official also said that there was no guidance or input from Boeing regarding the Alaska Airlines incident, which involved a Boeing 737-9 Max plane. Indian carriers do not have any Boeing 737-9 Max planes in their fleets at present.

A large window section of an Alaska Air flight AS1282, Boeing 737-900/ -9 MAX from Portland to Ontario, CA experienced an incident yesterday evening soon after departure. A large window segment broke off mid flight causing severe depressurisation and the ejection of an… pic.twitter.com/rGfl2l5IZt — Abayomi Adekunle (@yommywindy) January 6, 2024

There are more than 40 Boeing 737-8 Max planes that are operated by three domestic airlines – Akasa Air, SpiceJet and Air India Express. Boeing did not comment on the DGCA directive immediately.

A SpiceJet spokesperson said that the airline did not have any Boeing 737-9 Max planes in its fleet and would comply with the DGCA directive on the Boeing 737-8 Max planes. An Akasa Air spokesperson said that the airline also did not have any Boeing 737-9 Max planes in its fleet, which was the aircraft type involved in the Alaska Airlines incident.

The spokesperson said that the airline was in touch with the aircraft manufacturer and regulators to monitor the developments and would follow any guidance issued by them. An Air India Express spokesperson said that the aircraft involved in the Alaska Airlines incident was a different variant from the B737-8 operated by Air India Express.

The spokesperson said that the airline was in contact with Boeing and regulators for more information and would adhere to any advisory. A Boeing spokesperson said that it was aware of the incident involving Alaska Airlines flight 1282.

The spokesperson said that it was working to gather more information and was in contact with its airline customer. A Boeing technical team was ready to support the investigation, the spokesperson said about the incident that occurred on Friday.