After multiple flight incidents resulting in emergency landings, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued show cause notice to SpiceJet, India’s budget homegrown airline. Three incidences were reported on June 5 alone, taking the total toll of malfunctions and emergency landing incidences to 8 in last 18 days. Now India’s aviation minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia has reacted to DGCA’s show cause notice on Twitter.
In a tweet, Scindia said that passenger safety is paramount. He wrote, “Passenger safety is paramount. Even the smallest error hindering safety will be thoroughly investigated & course-corrected.”
Passenger safety is paramount. Even the smallest error hindering safety will be thoroughly investigated & course-corrected. https://t.co/UD1dJb05wS
— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) July 6, 2022
“SpiceJet has failed to establish safe, efficient and reliable air services under Aircraft Rules, 1937”, DGCA said in a statement. “The review (of incidents) transpires 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,” the notice stated.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given SpiceJet three weeks to respond to the notice. Also, DGCA’s audit of SpiceJet in September 2021 found component suppliers not being paid on regular basis leading to shortage of spares.
“Financial assessment carried out by DGCA in September 2021 has also revealed that the airline is operating on ‘cash-and-carry’ (model) and suppliers/ approved vendors are not being paid on a regular basis leading to shortage of spares and frequent invoking of MELs (minimum equipment lists),” it stated.
Commenting on the DGCA’s show cause notice to SpiceJet, India’s Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said “Passenger safety is paramount”. “Even the smallest error hindering safety will be thoroughly investigated & course-corrected,” he said in a tweet.