All 737 Max 8 planes in India grounded, airlines promised not to raise faires: DGCA

Lifting the ban on the aircraft will be based on inputs from various agencies and it will not happen soon, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) chief B S Bhullar said.

New Delhi: After meeting with all airlines, the Ministry of Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola said that all airlines promised not to raise their fares based on the grounding and they cannot use Boeing 737 Max issue as an excuse to jack up prices.

"As of now, all flights of Boeing 737 Max have been grounded, before the deadline of 4 pm. We had a discussion with the airlines as to how they plan to reduce inconvenience to the passengers," said Ministry of Civil Aviation Secretary.

DGCA also clarified that airlines will not be compensated for loss caused due to the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Terming it an emergency situation, Pradeep Singh Kharola said, "14 March will be a challenging day as 32-33 SpiceJet flights will be effected. No airport having SpiceJet serving will go unserviced."

All Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft being operated by Indian airlines have been grounded, Civil Aviation Secretary P S Kharola said here on Wednesday.

Lifting the ban on the aircraft will be based on inputs from various agencies and it will not happen soon, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) chief B S Bhullar said.

The DGCA announced its decision to ground the aircraft on Tuesday night.

SpiceJet has 12 such aircraft in its fleet and Jet Airways has five, which have already been grounded.

Kharola said SpiceJet will adjust most passengers in its own flights. If the need arises, other operators will pitch in.

Operators have also agreed not to indulge in "predatory pricing", he said.

The decision to ground the aircraft came days after a 737 MAX 8 aircraft operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed near Addis Ababa, killing 157 people, including four Indians.

(Inputs from PTI)