Akasa Air, AI Express say fleets unaffected by FAA directive
What's the story
Akasa Air and Air India Express have confirmed that their fleets of Boeing 737 aircraft are not affected by a recent directive from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The directive calls for inspections for possible fuselage cracks on certain models of the Boeing 737. Akasa Air said its young fleet will not reach inspection thresholds for many years.
Directive details
FAA's directive targets specific Boeing 737 models
The FAA's directive specifically targets certain models of the Boeing 737, including the 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200.
It requires an inspection of the fuselage skin for existing repairs and applicable on-condition actions.
The move comes after reports of cracks in the bearing strap at the forward upper corner of the forward galley door cutout on these aircraft.
Company statement
Boeing had identified issue 6 years ago
A Boeing spokesperson said the company had identified and reported this issue six years ago.
They have been working with operators on it since then, conducting periodic compliance checks since 2021.
The spokesperson also clarified that while this issue hasn't been seen on the 737 MAX fleet, inspections were extended to these planes due to their similar design and build process as earlier models of the aircraft.
Fleet details
Directive has no impact on Akasa Air operations
Akasa Air, which operates one of the youngest fleets in the world with brand-new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, said the FAA's directive has no impact on its operations.
The airline has a fleet of 40 such planes.
An Akasa Air spokesperson explained that the directive calls for a scheduled inspection before reaching 30,000 flight cycles (take-offs and landings), which at their current utilization rate would be about 13-plus years after an aircraft is inducted into service.
Information
Air India Express also unaffected by FAA's order
Air India Express also confirmed that the FAA airworthiness directive does not affect its fleet of around 80 Boeing 737 planes. This means that major Indian airlines operating these aircraft are not directly affected by the recent US aviation watchdog's order.