NEW DELHI: Money-strapped SpiceJet will now function beneath the Directorate Basic of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) enhanced surveillance. Following “cancellation of flights and monetary stress being skilled by SpiceJet,” the regulator had carried out a particular audit of the airline’s engineering amenities on August 7 & 8, 2024, which “revealed sure deficiencies.”
“In gentle of the (airline’s) previous report” and audit findings, SpiceJet will once more see a rise in spot checks and evening surveillance of its plane “to make sure security of operations,” the regulator stated in a press release Thursday.
The regulatory motion got here on a day when poor monetary situation noticed a SpiceJet Delhi-Dubai flight (SG 11) not overflying Pakistan and taking the longer Gujarat-Arabian Sea route because the airline reportedly couldn’t handle to pay overflying fees to Pakistan. This flight took 3 hours and 44 minutes, 20 minutes greater than the identical flight on Wednesday when it overflew Pakistan.
Then Dubai Airport on Thursday morning stopped boarding of SpiceJet flights — one thing that has occurred a number of instances this fortnight — over dues. In consequence, the plane flew with out passengers to India. Business sources say Dubai Airports may cancel some slots given to SpiceJet which may then go to different Indian carriers.
Concerning Dubai bother, a SpiceJet spokesperson stated: “As a result of operational causes, a number of SpiceJet flights from Dubai had been cancelled. Affected passengers have been accommodated on our subsequent flights; different airways or supplied with a full refund. All our scheduled flights from Dubai at the moment are working as deliberate.”
The airline — together with its staff, passengers and different stakeholders — have been dealing with turbulence for some years now because of the former’s incapacity to up to now elevate the required quantity of funds. It has been lowering operations and its home market share this July, 2024, had fallen to three.1% from 5.6% in January 2024, as per authorities information.
“After a sequence of occurrences reported on SpiceJet fleet in 2022, a particular drive of spot checks was undertaken throughout which the airline was permitted to launch plane for operations solely after confirming to DGCA that every one reported defects/ malfunctions had been rectified. In 2023, it was once more positioned beneath enhanced surveillance (as a result of) monetary stress,” the DGCA assertion added.
SpiceJet has not paid July salaries to many staff until date. On Wednesday, a number of airline staffers, together with loaders who’re presupposed to get about Rs 15,000, didn’t report for work at Guwahati. The airline has not deposited provident fund for a very long time. TDS is routinely delayed. Salaries are elusive.
Many airport operators and oil corporations have put the airline on money and carry. Some engine and plane lessors have the airways to courtroom to repossess their property over alleged non-payment of leases. DGCA information exhibits solely 29.3% of SpiceJet home flights operated final month.
“In gentle of the (airline’s) previous report” and audit findings, SpiceJet will once more see a rise in spot checks and evening surveillance of its plane “to make sure security of operations,” the regulator stated in a press release Thursday.
The regulatory motion got here on a day when poor monetary situation noticed a SpiceJet Delhi-Dubai flight (SG 11) not overflying Pakistan and taking the longer Gujarat-Arabian Sea route because the airline reportedly couldn’t handle to pay overflying fees to Pakistan. This flight took 3 hours and 44 minutes, 20 minutes greater than the identical flight on Wednesday when it overflew Pakistan.
Then Dubai Airport on Thursday morning stopped boarding of SpiceJet flights — one thing that has occurred a number of instances this fortnight — over dues. In consequence, the plane flew with out passengers to India. Business sources say Dubai Airports may cancel some slots given to SpiceJet which may then go to different Indian carriers.
Concerning Dubai bother, a SpiceJet spokesperson stated: “As a result of operational causes, a number of SpiceJet flights from Dubai had been cancelled. Affected passengers have been accommodated on our subsequent flights; different airways or supplied with a full refund. All our scheduled flights from Dubai at the moment are working as deliberate.”
The airline — together with its staff, passengers and different stakeholders — have been dealing with turbulence for some years now because of the former’s incapacity to up to now elevate the required quantity of funds. It has been lowering operations and its home market share this July, 2024, had fallen to three.1% from 5.6% in January 2024, as per authorities information.
“After a sequence of occurrences reported on SpiceJet fleet in 2022, a particular drive of spot checks was undertaken throughout which the airline was permitted to launch plane for operations solely after confirming to DGCA that every one reported defects/ malfunctions had been rectified. In 2023, it was once more positioned beneath enhanced surveillance (as a result of) monetary stress,” the DGCA assertion added.
SpiceJet has not paid July salaries to many staff until date. On Wednesday, a number of airline staffers, together with loaders who’re presupposed to get about Rs 15,000, didn’t report for work at Guwahati. The airline has not deposited provident fund for a very long time. TDS is routinely delayed. Salaries are elusive.
Many airport operators and oil corporations have put the airline on money and carry. Some engine and plane lessors have the airways to courtroom to repossess their property over alleged non-payment of leases. DGCA information exhibits solely 29.3% of SpiceJet home flights operated final month.
