Following several failures in SpiceJet aircraft, the Directorate General of Aviation Monitoring (DGCA) ordered the low-budget Indian carrier to operate a maximum of 50 per cent of its flights for a period of eight weeks. These flights were approved for the summer schedule.
However, the airline said there would be no flight cancellations due to the regulator’s order as it was already operating limited services “due to the current low travel season”. On March 11, the DGCA approved SpiceJet’s 4,192 weekly domestic flights for this year’s summer schedule, which ends on October 29. Wednesday’s order means the budget carrier will not be able to operate more than 2,096 weekly flights for the next eight weeks.
SpiceJet planes were involved in at least eight incidents of technical snag between June 19 and July 5, following which the DGCA on July 6 issued a show-cause notice to the airline.
“In view of the findings of various spot checks, inspections and response to the show cause notices submitted by SpiceJet, for continued sustenance of safe and reliable transport service, the number of departures of SpiceJet is hereby restricted to 50 per cent of the summer schedule. The number of departures approved for a period of eight weeks under 2022,” said the aviation regulator’s order on Wednesday.
The DGCA noted that if the airline wants to increase the number of flights by more than 50 per cent over the course of eight weeks, it will have to demonstrate that it has “adequate technical support to carry out such increased capacity safely and efficiently”. and have financial resources”.
The regulator said it conducted a financial audit of the airline in September last year and found that the carrier was operating on a “cash and carry model” and suppliers and vendors were not being paid on a regular basis, leading to additional shortages. Is. parts.
The airline has “poor internal safety oversight” and “inadequate maintenance action”, resulting in a drop in the “safety margin”. The DGCA said that during the eight-week period, the airline will be subjected to “increased monitoring” by the regulator.
According to the aviation regulator, SpiceJet on Monday submitted its reply on the show cause notice. The airline’s response has been reviewed at an “appropriate level” and it is observed that the carrier is taking measures to curb the trend of incidents, it said. However, the airline needs to sustain these efforts for safe and reliable air transport service, the DGCA said.
In a statement on Wednesday, SpiceJet said, “We have received the orders of the DGCA and will act as per the directions of the regulator. Due to the current low travel season, SpiceJet, like other airlines, has already rescheduled its flight operations. So, there will be absolutely no impact on our flight operations.”
The airline said it wants to assure its passengers and travel partners that its flights will operate as scheduled in the coming days and weeks. “There will be no flight cancellations as a result of this order.”
It added that the observation of the DGCA that SpiceJet is taking measures to arrest the trend of incidents is very encouraging and the airline will continue to work under the close guidance of the regulator.
On 5 July, a SpiceJet cargo plane, headed for Chongqing in China, returned to Kolkata as the pilots realized after the flight that its weather radar was not working.
On the same day, the airline’s Delhi-Dubai flight was diverted to Karachi due to poor fuel indicators and its Kandla-Mumbai flight made a priority landing in Maharashtra’s capital city after cracks developed in its windshield mid-air.
On July 2, a Jabalpur-bound SpiceJet flight returned to Delhi after crew members noticed smoke in the cabin at an altitude of about 5,000 feet. The fuselage door warning flashed on two different SpiceJet aircraft while taking off on June 24 and June 25, forcing the aircraft to abandon its journey and return. On June 19, on the engine of the carrier
Soon after taking off from Patna airport, a Delhi-bound plane carrying 185 passengers caught fire and made an emergency landing a few minutes later. The engine malfunctioned due to the collision of the bird.
In another incident on 19 June, a SpiceJet flight bound for Jabalpur had to return to Delhi due to cabin pressure issues. The airline has been making losses for the last three years. It incurred a net loss of Rs 316 crore, Rs 934 crore and Rs 998 crore in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 respectively.
(with inputs from PTI)