DGCA Orders SpiceJet To Continue Operating Flights At 50% Capacity Till October 29

DGCA said there was an 'appreciable reduction' in number of safety incidents.

Extending restrictions on SpiceJet ahead of the festive season, aviation regulator DGCA on Wednesday ordered the budget carrier to operate only 50 per cent of departures till October 29. In a statement, DGCA said the restrictions were extended as a matter of "abundant caution".

However, DGCA said there was an "appreciable reduction" in number of safety incidents.

"DGCA orders that the restriction on SpiceJet flight operations (50% of the approved Summer Schedule) as imposed on July 27, 2022, to continue till October 29, 2022, despite the appreciable reduction in safety incidents reported," the DGCA order read.

The DGCA has approved 4,192 weekly domestic flights for SpiceJet for this year's summer schedule, which ends on October 29. The recent order means the budget carrier will be able to operate not more than 2,096 weekly flights till October 29.

On July 27, DGCA ordered SpiceJet to operate a maximum of 50 per cent of its flights for eight weeks. Then, the airline had said there would be no flight cancellations as it was already operating limited services "due to the current lean travel season".

The airline has been reporting a number of technical malfunction incidents over the past few months.

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Earlier this month, a Nashik-bound SpiceJet flight returned to Delhi after a malfunction in the autopilot system. On August 29, a SpiceJet Delhi-Mumbai aircraft witnessed a tyre burst on landing at the airport.

SpiceJet has reported a net loss of Rs 789 crore (Rs 420 crore excluding forex adjustment) for the quarter ending June 30 as compared to a net loss of Rs 729 crore in the quarter ending June 30, 2021, IANS reported.

On Tuesday, SpiceJet said it asked 80 of its pilots to go on a three-month leave without pay.

"This measure, which is in line with SpiceJet's policy of not retrenching any employee which the airline steadfastly followed even during the peak of the Covid pandemic, will help rationalise the pilot strength vis- -vis the aircraft fleet," the budget carrier said in a statement.