Now Reading: Akasa Air, AI Express unaffected by FAA Boeing 737 crack directive
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Akasa Air, AI Express unaffected by FAA Boeing 737 crack directive
Akasa Air, AI Express unaffected by FAA Boeing 737 crack directive
The US Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday issued an Airworthiness Directive for certain Boeing 737-8, 737-9 and 737-8200 aircraft over possible cracks in the fuselage near the forward galley door, The Hindu…
The Story in Brief
The US Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday issued an Airworthiness Directive for certain Boeing 737-8, 737-9 and 737-8200 aircraft over possible cracks in the fuselage near the forward galley door, The Hindu Businessline reports. Akasa Air and Air India Express said on Friday the order does not affect their fleets.
Akasa Air, with 40 Boeing 737 MAX planes, said the directive requires inspection before 30,000 flight cycles. At current utilisation, that threshold is over 13 years away, while its longest lease is 12 years. Air India Express, which has about 80 Boeing 737s, confirmed no impact. SpiceJet, another operator, did not comment. Boeing said the issue was identified in 2019 and inspections were already recommended for 737 NG in 2021; the new directive extends this to 737 MAX as a precaution. Indian airlines together have over 140 Boeing 737 planes.
The Indian Opinion
The FAA’s directive sounds alarming, but Indian operators are right to downplay it for now. Their young fleets make immediate impact unlikely. Yet the narrative that this is a non-issue discounts SpiceJet’s older 737s, which may require inspections. The airline’s silence is telling. The real test will come when SpiceJet discloses how many of its planes exceed 30,000 cycles or need repairs. Will it confirm compliance, or expose gaps in maintenance oversight?
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
