Ethiopia Plane Crash: India keeps close watch on what other nations are doing

Civil Aviation Secretary on Tuesday said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is monitoring the Ethiopia plane mishap situation very closely following the Boeing 737 MAX 8 crash. They are in touch with the manufacturers (Boeing) and FAA and are also keeping a watch on the action taken by other countries. Earlier, Singapore grounded all Boeing 737 Max 8 planes, according to reports. The investigators recovered one of two black box recorders on the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 that crashed just outside Addis Ababa on Sunday, killing all 149 passengers and eight crew, Ethiopian state media reported.

The Ethiopian Airlines CEO and Kenya's transport minister said Indians, Canadians, Chinese, Americans and others are among the many nationalities among the victims of Sunday morning's deadly plane crash after takeoff from Addis Ababa.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office tweeted it "would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning." 

Aviation watchdog DGCA has issued strict safety instructions for flying Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes by SpiceJet and Jet Airways, including that the pilot-in-command should have at least 1,000 hours of flying experience, a day after an aircraft crash that killed 157 people in Ethiopia. "The minimum experience level of crew operating B737 Max aircraft to fly as PIC (Pilot-in-Command) is 1,000 hours and co-pilot is 500 hours on Boeing 737 NG aircraft type," the regulator said. Besides, SpiceJet and Jet Airways have been asked to ensure various requirements are complied with by engineering and maintenance personnel with respect to 737 MAX 8 planes.

China on Monday ordered domestic airlines to suspend commercial operation of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. According to an aviation website ‘The Air Current’, Chinese airlines make up fully one-third of all 737 deliveries and is Boeing’s most important and strategic customer. In another related development, Cayman Airways have also suspended the Boeing operations.