SpiceJet’s number of flights halved for next 8 weeks, DGCA shows tough stand

Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday ordered SpiceJet to operate a maximum of 50 per cent of the approved summer flights for eight weeks in view of several incidents of technical snag. The DGCA had issued a show cause notice to the airline on July 6 over at least eight incidents of technical snag in the airline. . The order will not affect the operation of our flights.

In its order on Wednesday, the aviation regulator said that in view of various site checks, inspections and response to the show cause notices submitted by SpiceJet, for continued sustenance of safe and reliable transport service, SpiceJet’s approved flights for the summer. The numbers are capped at 50 per cent for eight weeks. This is probably the strictest action against an airline in recent times. Eight incidents related to flight safety were recorded within 18 days.

Significantly, in the first week of this month, a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Dubai had to divert towards Karachi due to a fault in the indicator light. Two days before this, the upper windshield of SpiceJet’s aircraft flying from Kandal in Gujarat to Mumbai had cracked during the flight on Tuesday, due to which the aircraft had to make a priority landing. Aviation sources had told NDTV that in less than three weeks, there were safety-related concerns in the SpiceJet aircraft. All incidents have been brought to the notice of the regulator. Other incidents were related to door warnings, bird collisions, oil leakage from the engine, etc.