DGCA De-Registers Repossessed SpiceJet Aircraft

DGCA De-Registers Repossessed SpiceJet Aircraft
Photo Credit: Md Shaifuzzaman Ayon/AviationSource
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Troubles seem to have just begun for SpiceJet, the Indian LCC, which has been a lot lately due to its financial crisis and incidents. Once again, the airline has made headlines.

This time it is because of lessors of the aircraft asked DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation India) to de-register two aircraft which was leased to SpiceJet by them.

The Situation At Hand…


DGCA De-Registers Repossessed SpiceJet Aircraft
Daniel Murzello (GFDL http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html or GFDL http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), via Wikimedia Commons

The lessor requested Indian watchdog DGCA under Irrevocable de-registration and Export Request Authorization (IDERA), according to which a lessor can request for de-registration of their aircraft in case there is a default on the leased aircraft.

Though SpiceJet representatives said that both aircraft were being returned in the “most efficient manner consensually” and that this would not have any impact on the airline’s operation.

This request was now filed by Ireland-based lessor Aircastle and Dublin-based lessor Wilmington Trust SP services.

SpiceJet had found itself in a similar situation last year as well, and they had mentioned the same stating those aircraft were being returned consensually.

The aircraft in question this time is registered as VT-SZK & VT-SYA. Both these aircraft are Boeing 737-800 with CFM engines.

VT-SZK is 8.9 years old (during the time this article was published) and was originally delivered to SpiceJet as brand-new aircraft in May 2014.

This aircraft is currently active and flying from Chennai (MAA) – Mumbai (BOM) and has a schedule updated to fly the next day, i.e., 12th March 2023 as well (This live update is taken at the time of publishing the article).

Whereas VT-SYA IS 16.5 years old, this aircraft was originally delivered to now-defunct Jet Airways in September 2006. Later, when the airline shut down its operations, SpiceJet took it up in May 2019.

This aircraft has been ground in Hyderabad (HYD) since 12TH November 2022.

SpiceJet Tries To Hold Its Ground…


Konstantin von Wedelstaedt (GFDL 1.2 http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html or GFDL 1.2 http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html), via Wikimedia Commons

“While one aircraft is grounded for a long period and was to be returned earlier, the other is being returned due to certain engine issues with lesser.

Both aircraft are being returned in the most efficient manner consensually fully. This will have no impact on our operations,” a SpiceJet spokesperson said.

This comes amid the news of how SpiceJet flights were facing multiple long delays/cancellations and many instances where things got heated between passengers and ground staff.

In one such recent news SpiceJet flight from Bengaluru to Pune (SG-531), which was scheduled to leave at 10:20 am IST, was rescheduled to 12:30 pm IST, and later after a lot of heated arguments with passengers, the flight finally took off at 6:00 pm IST after nearly a & hours of delay.

In another similar incident out of Pune where SpiceJet flight (SG-525) scheduled to depart at 12:30 pm was initially rescheduled to 2:10 pm, but again, the flight took off only at 6:00 pm.

SpiceJet has to gain the trust now back of the passenger if it wants to be profitable again and gets its schedule in order to avoid delays as such.

Article produced by Gaurav Gowda.

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