India’s aviation regulator, The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has ordered one-time inspections on the emergency exits of all Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane three airways within the nation. The transfer follows the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) order to examine choose Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane after the AS1282 incident on January 5.

The order is reportedly a precaution, as no Indian service operates the MAX 9 variant. However, given the plane sort’s troubling previous, the regulator is mandating that checks are carried out instantly.

“A one time inspection”

According to The Times Of India, DGCA’s directive requires Air India Express, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet to examine all 737 MAX 8 at present working of their fleets by 12:00 on Sunday, January 7.

Photo: Air India Express

Read More: Which Airlines Fly The Boeing 737 MAX 9?

A senior DGCA official confirmed the order in a press release obtained by The Times Of India.

“Pursuant to the Alaska Airlines incident involving Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft, there have been no inputs/guidance from Boeing so far. None of the Indian air operators have Boeing 737-9 Max as part of their fleet yet. However, as an abundant precautionary measure, we have directed all Indian air operators to carry out a one time inspection of the emergency exits immediately on all Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft currently operating as part of their fleet.”

How many MAXs are operated by Indian airways?

Across the three carriers, 41 MAX 8 plane function in India. Air India Express has 9 planes, Akasa has 22 plane, and SpiceJet operates 12 jets.

SpiceJet plans to switch some growing older 737-800s with the MAX 8, reportedly having greater than 100 on order. According to The Times Of India, a spokesperson mentioned the service would “adhere by the DGCA directive on the Max-8.”

Air India has as many as 190 MAX plane on order for its wholly-owned low-cost subsidiary, however the -9 variant is excluded, with the -8 and -10 variants as choices. The airline reportedly mentioned it has been in contact with Boeing to get extra info and can adjust to any advisories set by regulators.

The MAX 8-200

Akasa has a remaining 54 MAX 8s on order, with reports suggesting the airline could place another order for nearly 200 additional MAX aircraft. The service’s twentieth plane is a 737 MAX 8-200, a specially-built -8 variant designed to accommodate extra passengers in a high-density configuration.

Related: Akasa Air’s 20th Aircraft Is A Boeing 737 MAX 8-200

Photo: Akasa Air

“We are in contact with the aircraft manufacturer and regulators to proactively monitor developments and will follow any guidance issued by them,” the airline defined to The Times Of India.

It is price noting that the MAX 8-200 plane is provided with a further emergency exit door, which is identical sort of door that was ripped off through the AS1282 incident, in response to Jon Ostrower, the Editor-in-Chief of The Air Current.

The solely distinction is that the door is activated upon supply from Boeing because the plane has a better seating capability for its measurement, versus the emergency exit on the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, which was deactivated as a result of its seating association accommodates lower than 200 passengers. The similar door can be outfitted on 737-900ER variants and seems to be deactivated on most plane.