NEW DELHI: India’s aviation regulator has ordered checks on 23 Boeing 737s of SpiceJet — 19 passenger planes and four freighters — for cracks on the area joining wings to body frame. The move comes after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week ordered inspection of Boeing 737 new generation (NG) aircraft following discovery of cracks on some B737s in America (not of SpiceJet). Following this, FAA had asked airlines using B737s to conduct specific inspections and make any necessary repairs.
In India, three airlines — SpiceJet, Air India Express and Vistara — use B737s. Asked about the impact of the FAA directive on Indian airlines, a senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said: “The Boeing Company has been made aware that cracking has been found on three B737-800 having more than 36,000 FC (flight cycle) at wing to body frame fitting. Two more B737-800 with similar age were inspected and nothing was found. Additionally 19 B737-700 and 2 more B737-800 were inspected and no cracks were found. Boeing intends to include all B737s NGs above 26000 FC for checks.”
A flight cycle is one complete flight from take off to landing.
“Nineteen passengers B737s of SpiceJet that have done over 26,000 FCs and four freighters of the airline that have done over 36,000 FCs will be checked. Vistara and AI Express have 9 and 25 B737s, respectively. They are not affected as these planes have done less than 17,000 FC,” said the official.
DGCA has been informed that FAA is expected to issue an airworthiness directive on Tuesday that will be effective from Wednesday for the checks of B737s that have done more than certain number of flight cycles. The inspection will last an hour and will be done with the help of boroscopic equipment.
Comments from Boeing and SpiceJet are awaited.
A Vistara spokesperson said: “We have nine 737-800NG. We are not affected as all our aircraft are quite new.” Vistara is using ex-Jet Airways B737s. SpiceJet, which anyway has a B737 fleet, also inducted many of these planes from the grounded airline.
