All flights on time: SpiceJet after DGCA scales down its operations by half

New Delhi, July 28: A day after SpiceJet was ordered to fly only 50 per cent of its flights for eight weeks by the aviation regulator after a series of snags, the airline company on Thursday said that all flights departed on time and there has been absolutely no impact on flight operations.

"All SpiceJet flights departed on time, as per schedule today morning. There were no flight cancellations. There has been absolutely no impact on our schedule following yesterday's order by the regulator. This has been possible as SpiceJet, like other airlines, had already rescheduled its flight operations due to the current lean travel season," ANI quoted the SpiceJet Spokesperson as saying.

The Spokesperson further said that they would like to once again reassure their passengers and travel partners that flights will operate as per schedule in the coming days and weeks.

The aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday ordered SpiceJet to operate a maximum of 50 per cent of its flights for eight weeks after several of its planes reported technical malfunction recently.

"In view of findings of various spot checks, inspections and the reply to the show cause notice submitted by SpiceJet, for the continued sustenance of safe and reliable air transport service, the number of departures of SpiceJet is restricted to 50% of the number of departures approved... for a period of eight weeks," the DGCA order said.

"Any increase in the number of departures beyond 50 per cent" would be subject to the airline "demonstrating to the satisfaction of DGCA that it has sufficient technical support and financial resource to safely and efficiently undertake such enhanced capacity", said the order.

Earlier, the DGCA had issued a show-cause notice to SpiceJet following at least eight incidents of technical malfunction in its aircraft since June 19.

In its show-cause notice to SpiceJet, the DGCA said the airline failed to "establish safe, efficient and reliable air services" under the terms of Rule 134 and Schedule XI of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.