The aircraft model Boeing 737 Max jetliner, notorious for two fatal air crashes in 2018 and 2019, is back to passenger service as the safest airline, according to Ajay Singh, the Chairman and Managing Director of SpiceJet Airline. The domestic airline provider launched the services with the Boeing 737 Max jetliner two days ago after diligent scrutiny and safety measures. “So far, with all the flights that we have flown, there is not even a minor issue,” he said.
Safety authorities from the United States, Europe and India have reportedly taken the Boeing 737 Max jetliner through multiple safety tests and have approved it for commercial use. “It is today the safest aircraft in the world,” assured SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh.
The Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, has announced that he, along with the SpiceJet owners and their families, will board the flight from Delhi to Gwalior to restore the faith of people in the aircraft.
Free inflight Wi-Fi for passengers
SpiceJet will also provide free in-flight broadband services for passengers from the upcoming month as a launch offer. The offer – first-of-its-kind in India – will allow passengers to access the internet entirely, except for the calls. “We probably won’t allow calls to be made because that will be disturbing for other passengers. But, pretty much everything else,” Singh added.
Boeing 737 MAX aircraft is known for its fuel efficiency compared to its predecessor Boeing 737 NG. The aircraft also has better legroom than its counter variants.
The domestic airline service provider SpiceJet is one of the airlines that heavily relies on Boeing 737 MAX aircraft models. In a $22 billion worth deal, SpiceJet acquired 205 jets, among which 13 are already delivered for services. The supply of remaining jets is expected to resume from December 2021.
With the halt of operations of Boeing 737 Max, SpiceJet suffered a considerable loss. The company also faced protests among its ground personnel in New Delhi over unpaid salaries. The company has cleared its dues and has paid its employees in full over the last two months. SpiceJet is now focusing on wading through the competitive domestic aviation space. The sector has seen new entrants like Akasa Airlines recently. “Competition brings out the best in everybody. And so that’s a positive. But it also leads to fare wars. And that’s not good, especially in a market where the cost is so high. So, one would hope that there would be rational pricing,” Singh added.
