DGCA places SpiceJet under 'enhanced surveillance', puts Akasa Air, Air India Express on alert due to...

Aviation regulator DGCA on Thursday initiated action against three airlines for different lapses, including placing SpiceJet under enhanced surveillance to ensure the safety of the crisis-hit airline's operations. Apart from action against SpiceJet, the watchdog imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Air India Express and issued a show cause notice to Akasa Air for certain violations.

On Thursday, the regulator suspended the approval for flying training organisation Alchemist Aviation.

By placing SpiceJet under enhanced surveillance, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will carry out increased spot checks and night surveillance of the carrier.

Based on reports of flight cancellation and financial stress experienced by SpiceJet, DGCA said it conducted a special audit of the airline's engineering facilities on August 7 and 8 and certain deficiencies were found during the audit.

"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," the regulator said in a release.

Separately, DGCA imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Air India Express for non-payment of compensation to passengers for cancelled flights.

Also, a show cause notice has been issued to Akasa Air for "several regulatory breaches identified during a recent review".

A spot audit and scrutiny revealed that practical training sessions conducted by the airline were completed and simulated without the mandated requisite regulatory approvals, DGCA said in a separate release.

The regulator also said that it will take all necessary action to enforce regulatory compliance.

India is one of the world's fastest-growing civil aviation markets.

Meanwhile, DGCA suspended the approval for Alchemist Aviation following an audit done in the wake of a fatal trainee aircraft accident that found the flying training organisation being non-compliant with regulations.

The move came less than two weeks after the organisation's trainee aircraft was involved in the fatal accident that killed the two people on board -- instructor and trainee pilot.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)