SpiceJet Likely To Induct 10-12 Planes From Jet Airways’ Lessors, Says Official
SpiceJet has been looking to boost its capacity after 12 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft of the budget carrier were grounded by DGCA.
SpiceJet Ltd. is likely to lease about a dozen planes from Jet Airways (India) Ltd.’s lessors as it looks to operate at its earlier capacity following the grounding of its Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft by the aviation regulator.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is de-registering aircrafts of Jet Airways which have been grounded by its lessors, making these planes available to other airlines, an official from DGCA told BloombergQuint on condition of anonymity. SpiceJet, he said, is looking to lease 10-12 such planes.
The aviation regulator, in a notification, said it has de-registered seven aircraft of cash-strapped Jet Airways after they were grounded by lessors because of non-payment of dues. Lessors have applied for de-registration of another 24 planes planes belonging to Jet Airways, it said.
The regulator is likely to conclude processing more applications within a week, the official cited earlier said.
SpiceJet has been looking to boost its capacity after 12 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft of the budget carrier were grounded following Ethiopian Airlines’ plane crash which was caused due to faulty sensors.
It is likely that SpiceJet will turn to lessors to obtain the freshly de-registered aircraft, the official said, adding that only SpiceJet has the spare crew to run more planes right now unlike IndiGo.
SpiceJet is yet to respond to BloombergQuint’s queries seeking comments.
The aviation watchdog has been discussing ways to increase the domestic aviation industry's capacity and to rein in surging fares after crisis-hit Jet Airways failed to pay its lessors, leading to grounding of most of its fleet.
While the airline has a fleet of 119 aircraft, it only flew 26 planes earlier this month, Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola had said. The airline’s fleet size further reduced to 14 aircraft on Thursday, according to a PTI report.
The beleaguered carrier has been unable to retrieve even a single plane grounded by its lessors so far, despite assuring the government that it would have 75 operational planes by the end of April.