Three flight incidents were reported from different states on Friday due to a variety of technical issues. A Kozhikode-bound SpiceJet flight from Jeddah was diverted to Kochi on Friday due to hydraulic system failure, ANI reported quoting the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The flight eventually landed safely with all passengers at Kochi.
In the second incident, IndiGo's Kannur-Doha flight was diverted to Mumbai after the crew noticed a technical issue in the aircraft. "The passengers are being accommodated on an alternate aircraft for their onward journey," ANI quoted IndiGo airlines as saying.
Earlier in the day, a Doha-bound private flight with 139 passengers and five crew members onboard suffered a technical snag while preparing for takeoff at Chennai airport. The flight had to return eventually.
The Qatar Airways flight was on the runway preparing for takeoff when the snag was noticed and the pilots sought permission to return, PTI quoted an official as saying.
The passengers were provided with accommodation in city hotels. The flight will take off to Doha after the technical issue is addressed.
In October, DGCA had directed SpiceJet to send engine oil samples of the entire Q400 fleet consisting of 14 operational aircraft to Pratt & Whitney Canada to ascertain the presence of metal and carbon seat particles.
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DGCA had initiated the probe after a SpiceJet flight made an emergency landing at Hyderabad airport after smoke was detected in the cabin on October 12.
SpiceJet is now operating flights with full capacity in the winter schedule. As per the domestic winter schedule of airlines released by the aviation regulator DGCA, the airline can operate with full capacity.
On July 27, the DGCA restricted SpiceJet to operate a maximum of 50 per cent of its flights, which were approved in the summer schedule for a period of eight weeks due to a series of incidents involving its flights.