Delhi International Airport awards SpiceJet 'Safety Performer of the Year', records least ground safety violations

SpiceJet was recently audited by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and its operations, safety processes, and systems were found to be at par with the global best practices and standards.

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The GMR-run Delhi International Airport has awarded 'Safety Performer of the Year' award to budget airline SpiceJet for its operations at the India's largest airport. SpiceJet has won this award at the annual GMR Delhi Airport Awards for being the top performer among the self-handling airlines, besides for "its success in reducing ground safety violations". SpiceJet was recently audited by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and its operations, safety processes, and systems were found to be strong and at par with the global best practices and safety standards.

SpiceJet said in a release that its ground handling team at Delhi Airport achieved this performance through constant focus on quality improvements, innovation and hard work. Minimizing incidences of ground safety violations plays a key role in ensuring compliance with safety guidelines and regulatory requirements.

"To be awarded the 'Safety Performer of the Year' by the country's biggest airport is indeed a proud moment for us. SpiceJet meeting the highest safety standards of our country's aviation regulators and airports is a great honor and a true reflection of what we truly stand for," GP Gupta, Chief Strategy Officer of SpiceJet, according to the release.

"Safety of our passengers and employees is the top priority for us at SpiceJet. It is an integral part of all our functions and is ingrained in our culture. We will continuously strive to adopt the highest safety standards to provide a safe and secure travel environment for our passengers," he added.

In April, the aviation watchdog the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) restrained 90 pilots of the airline from operating Boeing 737 Max aircraft, after finding they were not properly trained. That was followed by multiple snags in its aircraft.

The airline was the only scheduled Indian airline part of the audit conducted by ICAO -- the United Nations aviation arm. The audit of SpiceJet safety systems "helped India achieve" its highest-ever safety ranking in ICAO audit. 

With ANI inputs