The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) slapped a show-cause notice on SpiceJet after it reported 8 technical malfunction incidents concerning its planes over the last 18 days.
HIGHLIGHTS
- SpiceJet’s Delhi-Dubai flight diverted to Karachi because of a fuel indicator malfunction
- Smoke forces SpiceJet flight to return
- After the windshield cracks mid-air, SpiceJet’s Q400 aircraft conducts a concern landing in Mumbai
The notice was issued after an evaluation of the carrier’s overall performance during the last 3 months suggested insufficient maintenance and poor inner safety oversight. Several incidents of technical malfunction concerning SpiceJet flights had been reported during the last weeks.
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Three incidents had been reported the past day itself, inclusive of one when its Delhi-Dubai flight made an unscheduled halt in Karachi after its fuel indicator light malfunctioned. The DGCA notice stated the mentioned incidents concerning a plane operated by SpiceJet from April 1 so far had been reviewed and it was found that on some of the events the plane either turned back to its originating station or persisted in its journey to its destination with degraded protection margins.
“Poor inner safety oversight and insufficient maintenance actions (as most of the incidents are associated with either component failure or system-associated failure) led to degradation of the safety margins,” the DGCA noted.
The economic evaluation of SpiceJet carried out by the DGCA in September last year found out that the airline was running on a cash-and-carry system and suppliers/approved companies had been not being paid on a normal basis, leading to a scarcity of spares and common invoking of MELs (minimum equipment lists).
The notice stated it may be visible from the reviewed results that SpiceJet didn’t set up a safe, efficient and trustworthy air service under terms of Rule 134 and Schedule XI of the Aircraft Rules, 1937. The regulator asked the airline to answer within 3 weeks, in any other case the matter could be decided ex parte. In a statement, the airline stated it might respond to the notice in the given time period.
“All our planes had been audited a month in the past by the regulator and observed to be safe. All flights of SpiceJet are carried out in compliance with the relevant regulations,” it noted.
Safety-associated snags since June 19
July 5: Cargo plane on way to China returns to Kolkata airport over the defective weather radar Delhi-Dubai flight diverts to Karachi airport after fuel light indicator malfunctions Kandla-Mumbai flight’s windshield cracks, pressured to move in for priority landing In Mumbai
July 2: Plane to Jabalpur returns to Delhi after smoke found in the cabin
June 24, 25: While taking off, fuselage door warnings light up on SpiceJet planes, forcing each of these to return
June 19: Engine of Delhi-Patna flight catches fire after a bird hit
June 19: Jabalpur flight returns to Delhi over cabin strain issue
Scare after Vistara aircraft’s engine fails
The engine of Vistara’s Bangkok-Delhi flight failed after it landed in Delhi; all passengers disembarked safely, DGCA officers stated Vistara claimed one of the engines developed a “minor electric malfunction”.
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