DGCA decides to ground Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft with immediate effect

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, DGCA has decided to ground Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft with immediate effect. The decision comes in the wake of Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday in Addis Ababa killing all 157 people on board.

Ministry of Civil Aviation informed about the decision through a series of tweets. It said that the planes will be grounded until appropriate modifications and safety measures are undertaken to ensure their safe operations. The ministry said that passenger safety remains its top priority and India continue to consult closely with



regulators around the world, airlines, and aircraft manufacturers to ensure passenger safety.

Spice Jet has around 12 Boeing 737 Max 8' planes in its fleet, while Jet Airways has five in the country. India joined the growing list of countries to have temporarily grounded the aircraft. Ethiopia, China, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and UK had earlier decided to suspend the Aircraft. However, US aviation officials have said, the 737 Max 8 is airworthy and that it is too early to reach any conclusions or take any action.