DGCA gives SpiceJet show-cause notice over 'degradation of safety'

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given SpiceJet three weeks to respond to the notice

Taking strong note of at least eight instances of technical malfunction of SpiceJet flights in the past 18 days, the aviation regulator has issued a show-cause notice to the airline, saying a review has showed "poor internal safety oversight and inadequate maintenance actions" and that it has "failed to establish a safe, efficient and reliable air service".

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given three weeks' time to the Ajay Singh-promoted airline in the notice issued on Tuesday, which came close on the heels of three incidents on a single day in which the airline's planes developed technical issues mid-air.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation shared the notice on Twitter saying, "In light of the recent incidences of technical malfunction with regard to SpiceJet flights in the last 18 days, the DGCA has issued a show-cause notice to the air carrier."

"Passenger safety is paramount. Even the smallest error hindering safety will be thoroughly investigated and course-corrected," Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia tweeted after the notice was issued.

According to the notice, the incidents on aircraft operated by SpiceJet from April 1 this year till have been reviewed and it has been observed that at a number of occasions, the planes either turned back to its originating station or continued landing to the destination with "degraded" safety margins.

The review implies that “poor internal safety oversight and inadequate maintenance actions (as most of the incidents are related to either component failure or system-related failure) have resulted in degradation of the safety margins".

A financial assessment carried out by the DGCA in September 2021 has also "revealed that the airline is operating on cash and carry and suppliers or approved vendors are not being paid on regular basis leading to a shortage of spares and frequent invoking MELs (Minimum Equipment Lists)", the order said. SpiceJet has incurred a net loss of Rs 316 crore, Rs 934 crore and Rs 998 crore in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively.

From the above, the order said, it can be deduced that SpiceJet has "failed to establish a safe, efficient and reliable air service under terms of Rule 134 and Schedule XI of the Aircraft Rules, 1937".

On Tuesday, its freighter aircraft heading to Chongqing in China returned to Kolkata as the pilots realised after take-off that its weather radar was not working. The same day, its Delhi-Dubai flight was diverted to Karachi due to a malfunctioning fuel indicator while its Kandla-Mumbai flight did priority landing in Mumbai after cracks developed on its windshield mid-air.

In another incident on July 2, a SpiceJet flight heading to Jabalpur returned to Delhi after smoke was detected in the cabin at around 5,000 feet altitude. In separate incidents on June 24 and 25, fuselage door warnings lit up in planes forcing them to return.

There were two incidents on June 19 -- an engine of a Delhi-bound aircraft caught fire soon after the take-off and had to make a landing in the emergency condition in Patna airport while cabin pressurisation issues forced a Jabalpur-headed flight to return to Delhi.

In a statement, SpiceJet said it will be responding to the DGCA notice within the specified time period.

"We are committed to ensuring a safe operation for our passengers and crew. We are an IATA-IOSA certified airline. SpiceJet successfully completed the meticulous audit programme for recertification in October 2021. We have been regularly audited by DGCA. All our aircraft were audited a month ago by the regulator and found to be safe. All flights of SpiceJet are conducted in compliance with the applicable regulations of the DGCA Civil Aviation Regulations on the subject," it said.