DGCA cracks the whip on 3 airlines; SpiceJet under 'enhanced surveillance'

SpiceJet, Akasa Air, Air India Express under fire for lack of safety standards, failing to compensate passengers

(This report has been updated)
Coming down heavily on the lax attitude of Indian carriers towards customer experience and safety standards, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday took regulatory action against three major airlines- SpiceJet, Akasa Air, and Air India Express.

The aviation safety regulator placed cash-strapped SpiceJet under "enhanced surveillance", slapped a Rs 10 lakh fine on Air India Express for failing to compensate passengers for cancelled flights and issued a show-cause notice to Akasa Air for conducting practical training sessions without the required regulatory approvals.

"In light of the past record and the special audit carried out in August 2024, SpiceJet has once again been placed under enhanced surveillance with immediate effect. This would entail an increase in the number of spot checks/night surveillance with a view to ensure safety of operations," the DGCA said.

"Based on reports of cancellation of flights" and "financial stress", a special audit of SpiceJet's engineering facilities was conducted on August 7 and 8, which has revealed "certain deficiencies," it said. In July last year, the regulator had taken a similar step when it was concerned about the "financial stress" of the airline.

Regarding the fine on Air India Express, which is a subsidiary of Air India, the DGCA said that it had carried out an inspection as per Annual Surveillance Programme (ASP) 2024 of all scheduled domestic operators in June. This was to check if the airlines are following the norms pertaining to facilities and compensation, which must be provided to passengers under specific conditions.

In ASP 2024, the DGCA found that Air India Express did not comply with the regulations for providing compensation to passengers affected due to cancellation of flights. After it did not receive a satisfactory response from the airline on its show cause notice, the regulator on Thursday decided to impose a Rs 10 lakh fine on the airline.

On the show-cause notice to Akasa Air, the DGCA stated that a spot audit and scrutiny revealed that practical training sessions conducted by the airline were "completed and simulated" without the mandated requisite regulatory approvals. This has raised "significant concerns regarding the adequacy of training standards and operational readiness" of the airline, it added. Therefore, the regulator issued a show cause notice to the airline, asking it to submit its response within the next seven days.

Last week, the DGCA had imposed a Rs 99 lakh fine on Air India and its two senior executives for operating a flight in July with unqualified pilots.

SpiceJet, which has been making losses for the last six years, has severely curtailed its flight network even as it is looking to raise more cash to continue operations.

In a statement on Thursday night, Akasa Air confirmed it is in receipt of a notice from the DGCA in relation to an audit conducted in May 2024 and it will submit a response as per protocol. "Safety is of utmost importance, and we continuously strive to pursue the highest standards of safety,” the airline added.