SpiceJet has stated that it has 650 MAX-trained pilots and that the DGCA's decision not to authorise 90 pilots to operate Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will have no impact on operations.
The airline is retraining them in accordance with the DGCA's directive. The airline was fined Rs 10 lakh by the aviation regulator after it utilised malfunctioning simulators to train those pilots.
The carrier has a sufficient number of qualified pilots on hand to suit its requirements. The DGCA's conclusions will be used to retrain these 90 pilots.
"For the moment, we have barred these pilots from flying Max and they have to retrain successfully for flying Max. Also, we will take strict action against those found responsible for the lapse,” DGCA Director General Arun Kumar said in a statement.
SpiceJet is the only Indian airline to fly Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft, and it employs roughly 650 pilots who have been trained on the aircraft. However, the carrier only has 13 MAX aircraft in its fleet, with just 11 of them operating at the time. The airline claims that it only requires about 144 pilots to execute the 60 daily MAX flights it has planned.
