NEW DELHI: Aviation authorities will inspect the Boeing 737s of SpiceJet, Vistara and Air India Express — the three airlines that use this aircraft in India. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took this step after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) for all Boeing 737s that have not flown for seven or more days at a stretch.
In addition, those B737s too will be inspected that have not done more than 10 flights after return to service from their most recent period of storage due to the pandemic. The US regulator warned that corrosion of certain parts could lead to twin engine failure on such B737s. A senior DGCA official said, “We have asked for compliance from the operators concerned — Vistara, SpiceJet and Air India Express.”
Boeing said in a statement: “Out of an abundance of caution, Boeing has advised operators of 737 Classic airplanes (series -300 to -500) and Next-Generation 737s (series -600 to -900) to inspect an engine valve for corrosion. With airplanes being stored or used infrequently due to lower demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, the valve can be more susceptible to corrosion. Boeing is providing inspection and replacement information to fleet owners if they find an issue.”
