Akasa Air, AI Express say FAA crack directive does not affect their 737s

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Akasa Air and Air India Express have said their Boeing 737 fleets are not affected by a new US Federal Aviation Administration directive ordering inspections on certain 737 models for potential fuselage cracks. The FAA on August 7 issued an Airworthiness Directive covering 471 US-registered and roughly 1,429 total Boeing 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 jets worldwide, requiring checks on a metal reinforcing plate near the forward galley door. No cracks have been found on the 737 Max, but the FAA acted after cracks were reported on the older 737 Next Generation, which shares a similar design.

Akasa Air, which operates 40 brand-new 737 Max planes, said the directive requires inspection only after 30,000 flight cycles, a threshold its aircraft will not reach for at least 13 years, beyond the length of its longest lease. Air India Express, which has around 80 Boeing 737s, also confirmed no impact. SpiceJet, another Indian operator of the 737, did not comment. Boeing said it identified the issue itself and has worked with operators for six years, and it supports the directive.