SpiceJet's 9th technical malfunction in 24 days; Dubai-Madurai flight delayed

NEW DELHI: Directorate General of Civil Aviation officials on Monday said that the SpiceJet flight from Dubai to Madurai experienced a delay after the nose wheel of the Boeing B737 Max aircraft malfunctioned.

This is SpiceJet's ninth incident of technical malfunction in 24 days. The DGCA issued the airline a show-cause notice on July 6 after eight incidents of technical malfunction in its aircraft since June 19.

The aviation regulator said the budget carrier had "failed" to establish safe, efficient, and reliable air services. DGCA officials noted that on Monday, the Boeing B737 Max aircraft with registration number VT-SZK operated the Mangaluru-Dubai flight.

After the plane landed, an engineer checked around and found the nose wheel strut compressed more than usual, they said. So the engineer decided to ground the plane, officials said. They said that the airline had sent another flight from Mumbai to Dubai to operate the Dubai-Madura return flight, according to PTI.

SpiceJet spokesperson when asked about the matter said, "On July 11, 2022, SpiceJet flight SG23 operating from Dubai to Madurai was delayed due to a last-minute technical issue. Alternate aircraft was arranged immediately which brought passengers back to India."

"Flight delays can happen with any airline. There has been no incident or a safety scare on this flight," the spokesperson added.