Why India Has Barred 90 Pilots From Flying Boeing's 737 Max

India's civil aviation regulator has barred 90 pilots of the country's second-largest private airline from flying Boeing Co's BA 737 Max aircraft.

The Indian civil aviation watchdog DGCA said that it found that 90 SpiceJet pilots were not properly trained to fly the aircraft. The regulator further added that it will take "strict action against those found responsible for the lapse."

The SpiceJet pilots will now undergo training again on the Max simulator.

The 737 Max aircraft was grounded in 2019, three days after an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crash. The DGCA lifted the ban in August last year, months after the U.S. regulator gave a clean chit to the aircraft manufacturer.

SpiceJet, in a statement, said it has 650 pilots trained on the Boeing 737 Max, and the regulator had an observation on the training profile followed for 90 pilots.

"Of the 650 trained pilots on the Max, 560 continue to remain available, which is much more than the current requirement," it added.

SpiceJet is the only Indian airline that operates Boeing's 737 Max aircraft in its fleet.
Photo courtesy: Venkat Mangudi on Wikimedia