India’s DGCA Places SpiceJet Under Enhanced Surveillance Following Audit

India’s aviation regulatory authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has placed the budget carrier SpiceJet under enhanced surveillance after a recent audit uncovered several deficiencies. This decision was announced on Thursday, following a special audit conducted three weeks prior, spurred by concerns over the airline’s operational disruptions and financial difficulties.

The DGCA’s intensified scrutiny will include increased spot checks and night surveillance to ensure the safety and reliability of SpiceJet’s operations. The specifics of the audit’s findings have not been disclosed by the watchdog. This move marks another challenging period for SpiceJet, which was previously placed under similar surveillance in 2023 and faced targeted spot checks in 2022.

Compounding the airline’s woes, The Hindu reported that SpiceJet had been forced to operate flights from Dubai without passengers earlier in the day, owing to unmet airport dues which prevented passenger check-ins. This incident represented at least the second disruption of this nature in the current month.

Amidst these operational challenges, SpiceJet has endeavored to stabilize its service, claiming to have addressed the immediate issues. A spokesperson stated that affected passengers had been rebooked on later flights, other airlines, or had received refunds, with the assurance that scheduled flights from Dubai were proceeding as planned.

Furthermore, financial pressures have led some of SpiceJet’s lessors to seek legal resolutions over unpaid dues, exacerbating the airline’s fiscal struggles and impacting its quarterly performance. These ongoing difficulties underscore the precarious position of SpiceJet in India’s competitive aviation market.

Related news: https://airguide.info/?s=SpiceJet

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, reuters.com