NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has revoked the 50% restriction on SpiceJet flights with effect from October 30 even as the loss-making airline continued to report technical malfunctions.
As per the DGCA’s approved winter schedule, SpiceJet would be able to operate 100% of its flights scheduled from October 30. On July 27 this year, the DGCA had restricted the airline to operate not more than 50% of its flights for a period of eight weeks following a spate of technical glitches mid-air that risked passengers’ lives. This restriction last month was extended till October 29.
It was keenly watched whether the regulator would keep the ban in place in winter schedule in the wake of an emergency landing that took place earlier this month in Hyderabad following detection of smoke inside the cabin of a SpiceJet flight.
SpiceJet has now been allowed to operate 3,193 flight departures per week by the DGCA in the winter schedule. In most part of the ongoing summer schedule, SpiceJet was operating nearly 2,000 flights a week. Airlines are allowed to operate 21,941 departure flights on domestic routes every week in the winter schedule, which will be effective from October 30, 2022, till March 25, 2023.
While this is 1.55% lower than 22,287 flights operated in the previous winter schedule, SpiceJet’s allocation has been increased by over 6%. Out of the 21,941 departures, the maximum allotment has been given to IndiGo at 10,085 departures.
IndiGo has a market share of 56-58% in the domestic market and hence a 50% allocation is justified. Air India will have 1,990 departures, while Vistara is given 1,941 and AirAsia India is given 1,462 departures. Go Air will have 1,390 departures per week, Alliance Air - 1,034 and newly launched Akasa Air – 479.