SpiceJet’s safety systems on par with global standards: CMD Ajay Singh

(Representative image)

Budget carrier SpiceJet’s safety systems and operations have been found to be on par with global standards, chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said.

Singh’s assertion came days after a safety audit of the airline by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) under its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP).

In an exclusive interview with MoneyControl, Singh called ICAO’s audit result a testament to SpiceJet’s safe and efficient operations.

“Our safety systems and operations have been found to be at par with the global best practices and safety standards,” Singh said.

Safety, he said, has always been paramount at SpiceJet. “We have been running a safe airline for 17 years and continue to do so.”

The airline’s audit result played a key role in leap for India’s global aviation safety ranking.

India’s aviation safety system is in the 48th position globally from an earlier 102nd in ICAO rankings.

What the audit entailed

It all started last month when ICAO, a specialised agency of the United Nations, audited some areas in India’s safety oversight mechanism such as licensing and airworthiness.

Notably, SpiceJet was the only scheduled Indian airline to undergo validation checks by ICAO in the audit.

On November 14, the ICAO Auditing Committee visited the SpiceJet headquarters in Gurgaon, near New Delhi. Another ICAO team was at the airline’s flight dispatch office at Delhi Airport. SpiceJet’s offices and operations were closely scrutinised as part of the audit.

The team audited and reviewed flight critical functions and operational areas such as flight planning, weather assessment, route planning, aircraft serviceability, operations to critical airports, pilot rostering systems and cabin safety procedures.

The airline cleared the comprehensive safety audit.

SpiceJet had come under the scanner of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA some months ago following a spate of incidents related to safety.

On June 19, for example, a SpiceJet aircraft operating from Patna to Delhi suffered a bird hit. On July 5, SpiceJet’s Delhi-Dubai flight was diverted to Karachi due to an indicator light malfunctioning. On landing, no issue was found with the aircraft. On July 5, a plane operating on SpiceJet’s Kandla–Mumbai route suffered a windshield crack. The aircraft continued its journey to Mumbai, where it landed safely.

As a result, the regulator had capped the number of flights the airline could operate. This cap was lifted in October.

The airline also faced financial headwinds that delayed salary payments to its staff.

Elaborating on the transformation that has taken place in the last six months, Singh said: “We paid close attention to all safety aspects.”

Ticking all the boxes

These included the allocation of adequate funds for aircraft maintenance and building an inventory of spare parts.

Every single aircraft was checked thoroughly and the airline ensured quality wasn’t compromised at any cost. These efforts have paid off, Singh said.

“There is nothing small or ‘taken for granted when it comes to safety. We have made sure that we tick all the boxes and do everything perfectly. This audit is a testament to the highest standard of safety followed by SpiceJet,” he said.

Financially too, things have improved at the airline, which has cleared all outstanding principal dues of the Airports Authority of India and signed a full and final settlement with the airport operator.

The airline has reached settlements with aircraft lessor Goshawk Aviation and its affiliated entities, Credit Suisse, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, Boeing, CDB Aviation, BOC Aviation, and Avolon.

Enforcement at every level

According to the audit results, DGCA scored 85.49 percent on the Effective Implementation Count, compared to the 69.95 percent it attained during the last audit in 2018.

The development assumes significance as it will boost India-based airlines’ plans to expand to foreign destinations.

Last week, in an exclusive interview with Moneycontrol, DGCA chief Arun Kumar said strict enforcement, along with better compliance by stakeholders, was behind the leap in India’s aviation safety ranking.

“Earlier (in 2018), countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh had better safety rankings than us. Now we are placed above the likes of China and Israel,” Kumar said.

“Our focus on enforcement at every level has been validated. We had taken strictest action on all safety-related aspects and had implemented a programme to install breathalysers at the airports,” he said.