SpiceJet seeks planes from other sources after India grounds 737 MAX fleet

Reuters
Employees work inside a travel agency office besides a model of a SpiceJet aircraft in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad February 14, 2014. REUTERS/Amit Dave/Files

(Reuters) - SpiceJet Ltd said on Friday it was in talks with lessors globally to induct aircraft, in an effort to fill a gap after the grounding of its MAX fleet.

The airline was forced to ground its 12 Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 planes by India's aviation watchdog due to safety concerns after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people earlier this month.

The low-cost carrier could also benefit from cash-strapped Jet Airways being forced to ground planes, and is in talks with lessors to lease some of those aircraft, a person with direct knowledge of the matter had told Reuters earlier this week.

(Reporting by Tanvi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)