Aviation Watchdog To Lift 50% Cap On SpiceJet Flights

SpiceJet will be able to operate more than 50 per cent of its flights from October 30 as the three-month long restrictions imposed on the embattled airline will be lifted in the winter schedule.

In the wake of multiple incidents involving the aircraft of SpiceJet, aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had on July 27 capped the number of flights the no-frills carrier could operate at 50 per cent. Later, the restrictions were extended till October 29, also the last day of the summer schedule.

Now, in the winter schedule starting from October 30, the airline will be operating 3,193 flights every week. This is also 6.6 per cent more than the number of weekly flights operated by the airline in the previous winter schedule.

From October 30, SpiceJet has been allowed to operate more than 50 per cent of their flights. The 50 per cent restriction on the number of flights was co-terminus with the summer schedule that ends on October 29, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) chief Arun Kumar told PTI on Saturday.

With respect to the operations of the airline, the DGCA chief said all precautions are being taken and "we will ensure things remain well under control".

There was no comment from SpiceJet on the lifting of the restrictions.

In recent times, the airline has been facing multiple operational and financial headwinds. On October 17, the regulator directed the carrier to carry out analysis of engine oil samples from its Q400 fleet and other inspections, days after one of its planes made an emergency landing at Hyderabad airport due to smoke in the cabin.

The incident happened on October 12 when the SpiceJet plane was coming from Goa.

In the winter schedule -- from October 30, 2022 to March 25, 2023 -- scheduled airlines will operate 21,941 flights on domestic routes every week. The number of weekly flights will be 1.55 per cent lower than 22,287 flights operated in the previous winter schedule.

In the upcoming Winter Schedule 2022, 21,941 departures per week have been approved from 105 airports.

"Out of these 105 airports Deoghar, Shimla and Rourkela are the new airports proposed by the scheduled airlines," DGCA said in a release on Friday.

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