- By Aalok Sensharma
- Tue, 12 Jul 2022 03:23 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A Dubai-bound flight of SpiceJet on July 11 was delayed after the its nose wheel malfunctioned, said the Indian budget airline on Tuesday. This is the ninth incident of a technical malfunction in a SpiceJet flight in the last 24 days.
"On July 11, SpiceJet Dubai-Madurai flight SG23 was delayed due to a last-minute technical issue. Alternate aircraft was arranged which brought pax back to India. After the minor technical issue was resolved, first aircraft flew back to India as commercial flight," the company said, as reported by news agency ANI.
SpiceJet flights have been facing technical issues lately which has also irked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). On July 6, the aviator regulatory body also issued a show-cause notice to SpiceJet, saying the company has "failed" to establish safe, efficient and reliable air services.
"The review (of the incidents) transpires that poor internal safety oversight and inadequate maintenance actions (as most of the incidents were related to either component failure or system-related failure) have resulted in degradation of the safety margins," the DGCA notice read, as reported by news agency PTI.
"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 added.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has also taken cognizance of the incidents with SpiceJet flights and asserted that passenger safety is paramount. "Even the smallest error hindering safety will be thoroughly investigated and course-corrected," he tweeted earlier.
SpiceJet, however, has said it has been regularly audited by the DGCA. It also asserted that none of the incidents that have happened in the last few weeks have anything to do with shortage of spare parts.
"All our aircraft were audited a month ago by the regulator and found to be safe. All flights of SpiceJet are conducted in compliance with the applicable regulations of the DGCA Civil Aviation Regulations on the subject," the company said.
