DGCA issues show cause notice to SpiceJet on aircraft issues; incidents from Apr 1 to be reviewed

Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday issued a show cause notice to budget carrier SpiceJet amid recent incidents of flight landing due to technical glitches. It further said most incidents are related to component failure or system-related failure.   

DGCA also ordered that the airline has to revert to the notice within 3 weeks of receipt and explain the grounds on which it should be exempt from any regulatory action. 

“Poor internal safety oversight and inadequate maintenance action (as most of the incidents are related to either component failure or system-related failure) has resulted in degradation of the safety margins,” DGCA said in its notice. 

Citing the financial assessment of the airline carried out in September last year, the aviation regulator said SpiceJet operated on cash and carry mode and suppliers/approved vendors are not paid on regular basis. This, in turn, has led to a shortage of spares and frequent invoking of minimum equipment lists (MELs), a list that provides for operation of aircraft subject to specific conditions.  

It further mentioned that all incidents vis-à-vis SpiceJet that took place from April 1 till date shall be reviewed. The notice read, “In case no reply is received within the stipualted period, the matter will be proceeded ex-parte.” 

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia retweeted the DGCA's notice to SpiceJet and wrote, "Passenger safety is paramount. Even the smallest error hindering safety will be thoroughly investigated and course-corrected."

Meanwhile, it was known on Wednesday that the airline’s Kolkata-Chongqing freight flight returned to Kolkata as pilots realised the aircraft’s weather radar was not working.  

Further, SpiceJet’s Delhi-Dubai flight suffered mid-air malfunction in fuel indicator and was diverted to Karachi. Later in the day, cracks developed on the windshield of another plane of the airline at a height of 23,000 feet, prompting a priority landing in Mumbai.  

With these incidents, the total incidents of technical malfunction happening on SpiceJet aircraft has reached around eight in a matter of approximately 18 days.  

Shares of SpiceJet on Wednesday declined 7 per cent to hit its one-year low level, amid multiple instances of its planes suffering technical glitches in recent weeks. The scrip tanked 7 per cent to hit its 52-week low of Rs 35 on the BSE.

During the time of writing this report, its shares were trading 1.59 per cent lower at Rs 37.05 apiece.