SpiceJet pilots banned: 90 pilots of the airline will not be able to fly Boeing 737 aircraft, DGCA found fault in training
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has barred 90 pilots of SpiceJet airline from flying Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The reason for this is the lack of proper training of pilots. DGCA has found many loopholes in the training of pilots. The simulator training of these pilots was done at a center in Noida. DGCA has spoken of action against those responsible for the lapse.
However, SpiceJet’s operations will not be affected by this move by DGCA. SpiceJet has 650 pilots trained on Boeing 737 MAX. Out of these, after banning 90 pilots, it still has 560 pilots available with it. Spiget currently operates 11 MAX aircraft. About 144 pilots are needed to operate these 11 aircraft. That is, it has a lot more pilots than the current requirement.
What is a flight simulator?
Flight Simulator is a virtual reality system. The same kind of environment as the real plane is created in it. The main purpose of a flight simulator is to train the pilot without involving any risk to property or life.It costs much less than training in the air. A simple flight simulator system consists of multiple displays, control devices, an audio system for communication, and a computer system to process control inputs and record flight data.
After retraining, pilots will be able to fly the plane
DGCA Director General Arun Kumar said, “At present, we have stopped pilots from flying the Max aircraft and they will have to undergo re-training to fly it.” We will take strict action against those responsible for the lapse. At the same time, SpiceJet said on this matter, ‘DGCA observed the training profile of 90 pilots and stopped Max aircraft from flying. After retraining, the pilots will be able to fly the plane.
DGCA increased surveillance after the accident in China
The DGCA has stepped up surveillance on Boeing 737 flight operations after a Chinese airline’s Boeing 737 plane crashed in the mountains of southern China in the past. Earlier, an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX plane crashed near Addis Ababa. Then the DGCA had banned the Max planes of Indian Airlines on 13 March 2019, three days after the accident as a precaution.
Max aircraft were grounded for 27 months
A probe into the aftermath of the Ethiopian Airlines crash revealed some software glitches in Boeing’s Max planes. After rectifying these glitches by the American company, DGCA had given permission to fly these planes again after 27 months in August last year. Indian airlines like SpiceJet, Vistara and Air India Express have Boeing 737 aircraft in their fleet.
