DGCA lifts curbs on SpiceJet; airline to operate with full capacity from Oct 30

By Saurabh Trivedi
New Delhi [India], October 21 : Aviation regulator Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday lifted the capacity restrictions imposed on carrier SpiceJet.
A senior DGCA official said that SpiceJet can operate at full capacity from October 30 onwards.
During the 'Enhanced surveillance' period, SpiceJet has shown improvement in their operations, said an official.
On September 21, ANI had reported that DGCA had extended flight capacity restrictions on SpiceJet till October 29.
Earlier, the regulator made an order that, "Based on the review of the safety performance of SpiceJet, the authority issued an interim order of even number dated July 27, 2022, whereby restricting the number of departures of SpiceJet to 50 per cent of the number of departures approved under Summer Schedule 2022 for a period of eight weeks."
Whereas the review has indicated that there is an appreciable reduction in the number of safety incidents, it said.
However, as a matter of abundant caution the competent authority has decided that the restriction as imposed in the order dated July 27, 2022, shall continue to be in force till the end of the summer schedule which means till September 29, 2022, in accordance with the powers conferred under rule 19A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.
It further read that any increase in the number of departures beyond 50 per cent of the total number of departures approved under the summer schedule 2022, during this period, shall 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.