DGCA suspends SpiceJet’s head of flight ops for three months (India)

No-frill carrier SpiceJet Limited’s chief of flight operations, Gurcharan Arora, has been suspended by aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for a period of three months, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

The latest development comes after the DGCA ordered a special audit for Indian carriers including Air India and SpiceJet in a bid to ensure that weak finances of airlines doesn’t have any safety implications on their operations.

A SpiceJet spokesperson said that the suspension of Arora was not related to the safety audit. However the spokesperson didn’t reveal the reasons for suspension.

“There were some minor observations made by the regulator following an audit which are being addressed by the airline. We continue to work closely with the DGCA towards this objective,” a SpiceJet spokesperson said.

“At SpiceJet, the safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft is our topmost priority and we have taken multiple steps and implemented the best practices to ensure safe and secure flight operations,” the spokesperson added without revealing the details on the reasons for suspension of the airline’s chief of flight operations.

Meanwhile, when contacted a senior DGCA official said that the agency has shared the findings related to the safety audit and asked the airline to set things right.