Aviation regulator DGCA puts SpiceJet under ‘intensified monitoring’ as it faces multiple financial headwinds
Release date – Wednesday 23 July 07:20
New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA has placed SpiceJet under “heightened monitoring” as the budget carrier has faced multiple financial headwinds in recent months, a senior official said on Tuesday, but the airline denied any such developments .
Meanwhile, various lessors have sought to repossess aircraft leased to SpiceJet, some of which have been settled by the airline.
The official told PTI that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has placed SpiceJet under enhanced surveillance for more than three weeks and this is an ongoing process.
According to regulatory officials, the enhanced monitoring includes enhanced nighttime monitoring and spot checks.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the focus was on ensuring there were no potential adverse impacts on flight operations due to financial concerns and that no “shortcuts” were taken on safety.
The increased monitoring is also to check that security obligations are being met, the official added.
“This information is absolutely incorrect and we vehemently deny it,” a SpiceJet spokesman said in an interview. In a statement, the spokesman said the airline had not received such information from the Civil Aviation Administration.
SpiceJet, which has been facing various headwinds, has worked out issues with some aircraft lessors. On June 21, the airline said it had reached a settlement with Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), the lessor of the Q400 planes.
