Following an exceptionally high number of safety issues involving the airline, the aviation regulator today ordered low-cost carrier SpiceJet to operate only 50% of its flights for eight weeks. During the slow travel season, SpiceJet claimed that this would not affect its flights and that no flights will be canceled.
“For continued sustenance of safe and reliable air transport service, the number of departures of SpiceJet is restricted to 50% of the number of departures approved… for eight weeks,” stated the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in an order. “Given findings of various spot checks, inspections, and the reply to the show cause notice submitted by SpiceJet.”
The airline would be under “increased observation” by the DGCA for these eight weeks.
This could be the harshest punishment a recent airline has received.
According to the directive, the airline must “demonstrate to the satisfaction of DGCA that it has sufficient technical support and financial resource to safely and efficiently accomplish such additional capacity” before it may boost its departure rate by more than 50%.
SpiceJet “failed to build a safe, efficient, and dependable air transport service,” according to the regulator. The decision emphasized that although the airline is taking steps to reverse the trend, it must continue to work toward providing a trustworthy and safe air transportation service.
SpiceJet responded by stating that as flights had previously been rescheduled during the slow travel season, there would be no cancellations as a result of the decision.
“We have received the DGCA order and will follow the regulator’s instructions. SpiceJet, like other airlines, had already postponed its flight operations due to the present slow travel season. There will therefore be no effect at all on our flying operations. In the upcoming days and weeks, we want to reassure all of our customers that their flights will run on time. No flights will be canceled as a result of this directive, “announced a statement from the airline.
The DGCA’s remark that SpiceJet is taking action to stop the pattern of accidents is positive, and we will keep working closely with the regulator, the airline said.
After eight documented flight safety problems in 18 days, the authorities issued a warning to SpiceJet.
In one instance, a plane departing from Kandla in Gujarat made a priority landing in Mumbai after experiencing a fracture in its windshield mid-flight.
Separate incidents of smoke in the cabin, a broken indicator light, and a bird strike were among them.