DGCA mandates one-time inspection of Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft's emergency exits

In response to the incident involving US-based Alaska Airlines grounding its Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India has mandated a one-time inspection of emergency exits on all Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft. 

"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, DGCA has directed all the 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," the aviation regulator said in a statement.

This comes after passengers aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 were jolted into a state of alarm when a window panel blew out shortly after takeoff, leading to an emergency landing in Oregon. This incident prompted the airline to ground its entire fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets as a precautionary measure.

The flight, which had 177 people on board, experienced a sudden and unexpected cabin depressurization due to the panel blowout, causing oxygen masks to deploy and leaving a gaping hole in the aircraft's side wall.

"AS1282 from Portland to Ontario, CA (California) experienced an incident this evening soon after departure. The aircraft landed safely back at Portland International Airport with 171 guests and 6 crew members. We are investigating what happened and will share more as it becomes available," Alaska Airlines said in a post on X.

The plane reached a maximum altitude of 16,325 feet before being safely diverted back to Portland, according to real-time aircraft movement monitor Flightradar24 in a social media post.

The Boeing 737-9 MAX, which is part of Alaska Airlines' fleet, features a rear cabin exit door positioned aft of the wings. In configurations with high seating density, this door is activated to meet evacuation standards.

However, it's important to note that on Alaska Airlines' aircraft, these doors are permanently "plugged," meaning they are not activated. The decision to ground the planes was made after an emergency landing in Oregon, where passengers reported a window panel blowing out after takeoff.

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