`All flights on time`: SpiceJet after DGCA restricts operations for 2 months

Spicejet Flight Restrictions by DGCA: `We would like to reassure our passengers and travel partners that our flights will operate as per schedule in the coming days and weeks, said a SpiceJet spokesperson`.

India's aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on July 27, ordered the low-budget Indian carrier to operate maximum 50 per cent of its flights for a period of eight weeks. The orders to restrict the flights approved for the summer schedule came after multiple incidents of technical snags and emergency landings were reported in the past couple of months. DGCA conducted spot checks on 48 planes recently and issued the directive. Following the same, SpiceJet spokesperson, on July 28, said there's no impact of DGCA's order on flight operations of the airline. 

“All SpiceJet flights departed on time, as per schedule today morning. There were no flight cancellations. There has been absolutely no impact on our schedule following yesterday’s order by the regulator. This has been possible as SpiceJet, like other airlines, had already rescheduled its flight operations due to the current lean travel season," said a SpiceJet spokesperson.

"We would like to once again reassure our passengers and travel partners that our flights will operate as per schedule in the coming days and weeks. SpiceJet is confident of scaling up its operations and addressing any concern the regulator may have on priority,” SpiceJet added.

On March 11, the DGCA approved 4,192 weekly domestic flights of SpiceJet for this year's summer schedule, which ends on October 29. Wednesday's order means the budget carrier will be able to operate not more than 2,096 weekly flights for the next eight weeks.

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

"In view of the findings of various spot checks, inspections and the reply to the show cause notice submitted by SpiceJet, for the continued sustenance of safe and reliable transport service, the number of departures of SpiceJet is hereby restricted to 50 per cent of the number of departures approved under summer schedule 2022 for a period of eight weeks," the aviation regulator's order on Wednesday said.