Highlight
- SpiceJet has failed to “establish safe, efficient and reliable air services”: DGCA
- There have been 8 incidents of concern about SpiceJet in 18 days
- SpiceJet will now be “doubly careful” and strengthen oversight: SpiceJet chief
Engine failures, technical snags and broken windshields have been the turmoil for the aviation industry in the past few days. SpiceJet has been facing heat from aviation regulator DGCA for several flight incidents in the past few weeks, with IndiGo and Vistara planes having malfunctioned.
In action against SpiceJet, where eight incidents have taken place in 18 days, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has now issued a show-cause notice to the airline. In a tweet, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said: “Passenger safety is of paramount importance. Even the smallest error hindering safety will be thoroughly investigated and course corrected.”
The notice issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) states that SpiceJet has failed to “establish safe, efficient and reliable air services” under the terms of Rule 134 and Schedule XI of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.
Will be ‘doubly careful’: SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh
Airline CMD Ajay Singh said on Wednesday that SpiceJet will now be “doubly careful” and strengthen inspection of aircraft before leaving for flight operations. Aviation regulator DGCA on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to SpiceJet after eight incidents of technical snag in airline’s aircraft in the last 18 days.
“We will work with them (DGCA) to ensure that if they feel there are any deficiencies in our system, we will correct them. Nothing is more important than security,” Singh said.
Read also: SpiceJet in trouble: DGCA issues show cause notice to airline after several failure incidents
SpiceJet Incidents
On 5 July, a SpiceJet cargo plane, headed for Chongqing in China, returned to Kolkata as the pilots realized after the flight that its weather radar was not working.
On July 2, a Jabalpur-bound SpiceJet flight returned to Delhi after crew members noticed smoke in the cabin at an altitude of about 5,000 feet. The fuselage door warning flashed on two different SpiceJet aircraft while taking off on June 24 and June 25, forcing the plane to abandon its journey and return.
On 19 June, soon after take-off from Patna airport, an engine of the carrier’s Delhi-bound plane carrying 185 passengers caught fire and the plane made an emergency landing a few minutes later. The engine malfunctioned due to the collision of the bird. In another incident on 19 June, a SpiceJet flight bound for Jabalpur had to return to Delhi due to cabin pressure issues.
Vistara engine failure
Aviation regulator DGCA officials said on Wednesday that an engine of a Bangkok-bound Vistara plane failed after landing at the Delhi airport on Tuesday, but all the passengers landed safely. When contacted for comment, the airline said a “minor” electrical fault occurred in the integrated drive generator (IDG) on the engine after landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday.
An IDG is an electrical generator that provides electricity to an aircraft. DGCA officials said that after clearing the runway, the aircraft’s engine number 2 was shut down as the pilots wanted to perform a single-engine taxi using engine number 1. However, as engine number 1 failed at the end of the taxiway, a tow truck was towed. To move the aircraft to the parking bay.
Read also: Bangkok-Delhi Vistara flight lands at IGI airport on single engine, passengers safe
Smoke in the cabin of an Indigo plane
DGCA officials said that the cabin crew of IndiGo’s Raipur-Indore flight on Tuesday noticed smoke in the aircraft after landing at its destination. However, IndiGo did not speak to the media about this.
Read also: Smoke emanates from Indigo flight after landing at Indore airport, passengers safe
some major emergency landings
(with inputs from PTI)
read also , SpiceJet in trouble: DGCA issues show cause notice to airline after several failure incidents