New Delhi:
SpiceJet, for the second time in two years, has been placed under “enhanced surveillance” by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation following reports of cancelled flights and financial stress.
Earlier this month the national aviation regulator – acting on reports the carrier had to cancel flights from Dubai over non-payment of dues – conducted a special audit that revealed “certain deficiencies”.
As a result the DGCA said the airline, “has once again, and with immediate effect, been placed under enhanced surveillance”, explaining this means increased spot checks and/or night-time audits with a view to ensure operational safety.
SpiceJet had reportedly been placed under “enhanced surveillance” in July last year too; an official told news agency PTI this was due to multiple financial issues and against the backdrop of various lessors seeking repossession of leased aircraft. The airline, however, denied any such development.
In 2022, following a series of safety issues in quick succession, the DGCA had allowed SpiceJet to operate only 50 per cent of its fleet. The aviation regulator had undertaken audits then too, only allowing the airline to release aircraft after confirming rectification of all defects or malfunctions.
The DGCA then had pointed to big gaps on how the airline was being run, from operating flights with “degraded safety margins” and issues that indicated “poor internal safety oversight”, to vendors not being paid on time, leading to shortage of spare parts for the fleet.
Ajay Singh, who owns the airline, told NDTV then the airline remains “100 per cent safe”.
Source Agencies
