DGCA asks Indian airlines to conduct inspection following Alaska Airlines mid-air mishap

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday (January 6, 2024) issued a directive to Indian air operators, directing them to instantly conduct a one-time inspection of emergency exits on all Boeing 737-8 Max plane at the moment in operation inside their fleets, media stories mentioned.

This directive got here after an incident in an Alaska Airlines flight, carrying 174 passengers and 6 crew members, which had to make an emergency touchdown due to the mid-air blowout of an exit door and an adjoining unoccupied seat, reported India Today.

Despite the incident on the Alaska Airlines flight, Boeing has not supplied any particular steerage, mentioned the report.

The aerospace firm mentioned it was conscious of the state of affairs, including that it was prepared to assist the investigation by means of its technical workforce.

The affected plane, the place the exit door and seat malfunction occurred, is a just lately manufactured aircraft that accomplished meeting simply two months in the past and obtained certification in November 2023, in accordance to the report.

Following the incident, Alaska Airlines took the precaution of quickly grounding its complete fleet of Boeing 737-9 plane.

CEO Ben Minicucci said that every plane would endure complete upkeep and security inspections earlier than being returned to service.

In a associated improvement from final week, Boeing urged airlines to examine all 737 MAX airplanes for a possible free bolt within the rudder management system.