Sunday’s crash of a Boeing 737 Max 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines has led many countries to ban the aircraft. India was no exception, deciding on Tuesday night to ground the aircraft, the latest version of the 737 family.
The number of Max 8 aircraft in India is not large. But this comes at a time when Jet Airways (India) Ltd and market leader InterGlobe Aviation Ltd (which runs IndiGo) have cancelled flights because of financial troubles and pilot shortage, respectively. Incrementally, the ban is expected to have an impact on supply and eventually cause fares to rise.
In India, two aviation companies, SpiceJet Ltd and Jet Airways, have the 737 Max 8 fleet. SpiceJet has 12 operational Max 8 aircraft, representing 20%-plus seat capacity. The beleaguered Jet Airways has five.
