SpiceJet says implemented all DGCA guidelines, more countries ban 737 Max

SpiceJet has implemented all additional precautionary measures as directed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the private airline said on Tuesday, a day after the aviation regulator issued fresh guidelines on the flying of Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

SpiceJet and Jet Airways are the only two airlines which have been using this jet. They have a total of 17 aircraft of this model.

The airline said the Boeing 737 MAX is a highly sophisticated aircraft and has flown hundreds of thousands of hours globally and some of the world's largest airlines are flying this aircraft.

"We are actively engaged with both Boeing and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and will continue to put safety first, as always. We have already implemented all additional precautionary measures as directed by the DGCA yesterday," it said in a statement here.

Meanwhile few other countries also followed the step of banning the 737 max 8 aircraft for the flying. After China and Ethiopian airlines, Singapore has also banned the use of the aircraft. Mexico's Aero Mexico, Brazil's GOL Airline, Argentina's airline, Indonesia's Garuda and Lion Air, South Korea, South Africa and Cayman Airways have also announced the grounding of Max planes.

On Monday, the DGCA issued new guidelines for the Boeing 737 Max jet, saying the pilot commanding the aircraft should have at least 1,000 hours of flying experience on the Boeing 737 NG aircraft type while the co-pilot should have that of at least 500 hours.

The aviation watchdog said additional checking should be done by engineers and maintenance personnel to aircraft, particularly those pertaining to the autopilot and stall management systems. The crew members should also have undergone training according to the December 3 guidelines.

On Sunday, four Indians were among 157 passengers killed on board the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 commercial jet to Nairobi that crashed shortly after it took off from Addis Ababa. The airline has said 157 people were on board the flight, including 149 passengers and eight crew members.

It is the second accident involving Boeing's new 737 MAX 8 jet in less than six months.  In late October, a 737 MAX 8 flown by Lion Air had gone down off the coast of Indonesia, killing 189 people.

Currently, around 350 of the 737 Max 8 model are in service across the world. Some of the countries have ordered the grounding of the model while some are still flying it taking extra precautions.