DGCA directs inspection of emergency exits on Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft after Alaska Airlines incident

In response to the mid-air emergency incident involving Alaska Airlines' Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft, India's aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has instructed all Indian carries to do a one-time inspection of the emergency exits on all Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft currently in operation within the country.

The Alaska Airlines incident has prompted concerns globally. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also ordered an immediate inspection of certain types of Max aircraft, which includes Max 9 of US Airlines and those present in the US territory, including a temporary grounding of 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners. 

The FAA has said an emergency airworthiness directive will be issued after the inspection. The inspection is expected to take 4-8 hours per aircraft.

The US National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the incident.

Alaska Airlines has temporarily grounded its entire fleet of 65 Boeing Max 9 aircraft. The decision came after a Boeing 737 Max 9 experienced a mid-air door loss shortly after takeoff during Flight AS1282 from Portland to Ontario, CA. The cabin panel blowout forced the new Alaska Airlines plane to make an emergency landing in the United States.

As of now, no Indian airline operates the Boeing 737-9 Max variant, and there have been no specific inputs or guidance from Boeing regarding the incident.

However, Akasa, Air India Express and SpiceJet have Boeing Max 8 in their fleet and Air India has also placed an order for 190 Max aircraft. Spicejet has over 10 Max-8 but most of them are grounded. Air India Express has eight Max-8 planes, of which three are already parked.

In an official statement, the DGCA emphasised that the directive is a precautionary measure and not a response to any identified issues with the Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft currently in service by Indian air operators. The one-time inspection of emergency exits is intended to verify the integrity and functionality of these crucial safety components.

The DGCA has urged all Indian air operators to promptly conduct the inspections on their Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft and report any findings or concerns to the regulatory authority.

After the DGCA directive, Akasa Air, which has 22 aircraft from the Boeing Max range, said: "We confirm at present Akasa Air does not have any 737 Max-9 aircraft in its fleet. Even though the incident has occurred with another airline in the US, we are in contact with Boeing and regulators. Proactively monitoring developments and will follow any issued guidance."

Boeing is looking into the incident. ”We are working to gather more information and are in contact with our airline customer,” Boeing said.

Alaska Airlines, meanwhile, has said it has inspected more than 25 aircraft from the 737-9 fleet and "no concerns found in inspected aircraft." The airline said it would return to service as inspections are completed with full confidence.