The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has rejected a request by Jet Airways (JAI, Mumbai International) to restore extended range twin engined operations certification to B737-8s, The Economic Times has reported. The A320-200neo remains similarly limited.

"We have rejected Jet Airways’ request to relax the Extended Diversion Time Operations (EDTO) limit for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft because we are concerned about the performance of the aircraft, and would like operations to continue with restrictions," a senior DGCA official said.

The authority previously limited both types to operations within 60-minute diversion time, effectively banning their deployment on multiple routes crossing the Bay of Bengal to South-East Asia or the Arabian Sea to the Gulf countries.

The B737 MAX ETOPS certification was withdrawn after a crash of such an aircraft operated by Lion Air (JT, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) near Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta on October 29, 2018.

Jet Airways is one of two operators of the B737 MAX in India and has five such aircraft, of which only four are currently active. The other airline, SpiceJet (SG, Delhi International), operates twelve MAX 8. Jet Airways, however, operates significantly more ETOPS-requiring narrowbody routes, particularly to the Gulf countries.

In terms of A320neo, the type is operated by IndiGo Airlines (6E, Delhi International), GoAir (Mumbai International), Air India (AI, Delhi International), and Vistara (UK, Delhi International), although the current issues only affect the former two airlines which operate Pratt & Whitney PW1000-powered aircraft. Air India's and Vistara's A320neo are powered by CFM International LEAP engines, which are unaffected by the current limitations.