SpiceJet placed under enhanced surveillance by aviation body DGCA
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New Delhi: SpiceJet, the budget airline, has come under "enhanced surveillance" by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), as the carrier grapples with multiple financial challenges.
The airline has refuted these claims and denied any such development.
The DGCA has been closely monitoring SpiceJet for over three weeks as part of an ongoing process, an official stated.
The enhanced surveillance measures include increased night surveillance and spot checks to ensure that financial difficulties do not compromise flight operations and safety standards. The focus is on preventing any potential adverse impact on safety and ensuring that corners are not cut in maintaining safety obligations, the official told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
The heightened scrutiny by the DGCA is aimed at assessing whether safety protocols and obligations are being met effectively by the airline. It also takes into account recent cases where lessors sought to repossess aircraft leased to SpiceJet, some of which have been resolved through settlements.
However, SpiceJet promptly responded to the claims, denying the information provided by the DGCA. A spokesperson for the airline stated that no communication had been received from the aviation watchdog regarding the enhanced surveillance.
Amidst the airline's ongoing challenges, SpiceJet has managed to resolve issues with certain aircraft lessors. On June 21, the airline announced that it had reached a settlement agreement with Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), a lessor for its Q400 planes.
