Indian aviation body enhances surveillance of Boeing 737 fleet

Indian authorities have put the Boeing 737 fleets of Indian carriers on "enhanced surveillance" following a recent tragic crash involving a China Eastern Airlines (CIAH) (CEA) aircraft of the same type. The aircraft was carrying 132 people on board.  

Indian aviation regulator The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has deployed several teams of inspectors to ramp up monitoring of flight procedures, airworthiness, and operations of Boeing 737 type planes in the country, DGCA chief, Arun Kumar told local media on March 22, 2022. 

“Flight safety is a serious business. We are closely studying the situation. In the interim, we are mounting enhanced surveillance on our 737 fleets,” Kumar added. 

The decision was announced shortly after the fatal China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 crash in the Guangxi mountains of southern China. It will predominantly affect the aircraft fleets of three Indian carriers - SpiceJet, Vistara, and Air India Express.  

According to Planespotters.net data, low-cost carrier SpiceJet currently operates 56 Boeing 737 family aircraft with an average age of 11.7 years, while Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY), has five 737-800 jets in its fleet, with an average age of 8.5 years. Air India Express, a low-cost subsidiary of the country’s flag carrier Air India, flies 12 Boeing 77-800 planes, which have been operating passenger services for about 11 years.