New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to private carrier SpiceJet after it reported eight malfunctions in 18 days.
The aviation regulator said the carrier had “failed to establish safe, efficient and reliable air services under Aircraft Rules 1937”.
The regulator’s audit of Spicejet in September 2021 also found component suppliers not being paid on time, which led to “a shortage of spares”.
The DGCA’s notice comes after three incidents were reported Tuesday, prompting planes to make emergency landings or fly back due to equipment malfunction.
In the first incident, a Delhi to Dubai flight had to land in Karachi after the crew noticed fuel decreasing from the plane’s left tank. The flight’s fuel indicator had acted up.
Nearly 140 passengers waited 11 hours at Karachi before the airline arranged for an alternate aircraft to take them to Dubai.
Also on Tuesday, a Spicejet flight from Kandla to Mumbai had to make a priority landing at the destination after its outer windshield developed a crack mid-air.
Later, a Spicejet cargo plane flying to China came back to Kolkata for repairs after the weather radar developed a fault.
The carrier said it would respond to the show-cause within a specified time period and are committed to ensuring a safe operation for passengers and crew. “We are an IATA-IOSA-certified airline. All our aircraft were audited a month ago by the regulator and found to be safe,” it said.
Its cargo arm Spicejet Spox said it had successfully completed the audit programme for recertification in October 2021. “We have been regularly audited by the DGCA. All flights are conducted in compliance with applicable DGCA regulations,” it said.
After the DGCA notice, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia tweeted that passenger safety was paramount. “Even the smallest error hindering safety will be thoroughly investigated and course-corrected,” he said.
In light of the recent incidences of technical malfunction with regard to @flyspicejet flights in the last 18 days, the @DGCAIndia has issued a show cause notice to the air carrier. pic.twitter.com/1umJSOPhdK
— MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) July 6, 2022
Also read: ‘Smoke in cabin, cracked windshield’ — SpiceJet sees nearly 15 air safety incidents in 10 months