Why DGCA halved SpiceJet's capacity? Check recent incidents of snags

The airline has been making losses for the last three years. It incurred a net loss of ₹316 crore, ₹934 crore and ₹998 crore in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 respectively.

Published on: Jul 27, 2022, 20:27:32 IST

By HT News Desk | Edited by Aniruddha Dhar, New Delhi

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Aviation regulator DGCA on Wednesday ordered SpiceJet to operate a maximum of 50 per cent of its flights for eight weeks after several of its planes reported technical malfunction recently.

The Delhi-bound SpiceJet airplane following its emergency landing after it catches fire mid-air at Jayprakash Narayan Airport in Patna on Sunday.  (HT photo)

The DGCA said during this period, the budget carrier will be subjected to "enhanced surveillance".

The airline has been making losses for the last three years. It incurred a net loss of ₹316 crore, ₹934 crore and ₹998 crore in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 respectively.

The DGCA order came after SpiceJet's planes were involved in at least eight incidents of technical malfunction between June 19 and July 5, following which the regulator on July 6 issued a show cause notice to the airline.

Here are recent incidents of SpiceJet's technical malfunction

On July 5: A SpiceJet freighter aircraft, which was heading to Chongqing in China, returned to Kolkata as the pilots realised after the take-off that its weather radar was not working.

On July 5: The airline's Delhi-Dubai flight was diverted to Karachi due to a malfunctioning fuel indicator and its Kandla-Mumbai flight did priority landing in Mumbai after cracks developed on its windshield mid-air.

On July 2: A SpiceJet flight heading to Jabalpur returned to Delhi after the crew members observed smoke in the cabin at an altitude of around 5,000 feet.

June 24 and June 25: Fuselage door warnings lit up on two separate SpiceJet planes while taking off, forcing the aircraft to abandon their journeys and return.

June 19: An engine on the carrier's Delhi-bound aircraft carrying 185 passengers caught fire soon after it took off from the Patna airport and the plane made an emergency landing minutes later. The engine malfunctioned because of a bird hit.

June 19: A SpiceJet flight for Jabalpur had to return to Delhi due to cabin pressurisation issues.

(With inputs from PTI)

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