DGCA temporarily suspends SpiceJet’s licence to carry dangerous goods

Aviation regulator DGCA has temporarily suspended SpiceJet’s licence for the transportation of ‘dangerous goods’ for alleged violations, according to sources.

The suspension is for 30 days, and during this period, SpiceJet will not be allowed to carry dangerous goods, including lithium-ion batteries, on its domestic as well as international flights, the sources told PTI on Friday.

When contacted, a SpiceJet spokesperson did not directly mention the suspension.

The airline said there was a “minor issue” with a package being declared as a “non-dangerous goods” by a shipper, who has been blacklisted.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) rules, dangerous goods are articles or substances that are capable of posing a risk to health, safety, property or the environment.

“The DGCA has suspended SpiceJet’s licence for dangerous goods for 30 days allegedly for violating norms involved in the handling of such cargo,” one of the sources said.

As a consequence, the airline has been “barred” from carrying such cargo on its flights across the network, he said.

Director-General of Civil Aviation Arun Kumar was not reachable for comments.

“There was a minor issue with a package being declared as ‘non-dangerous goods’ by a shipper and the lapses were on the shipper’s part. SpiceJet has taken preventive and corrective action as advised by the DGCA,” the SpiceJet spokesperson said in a statement.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.

As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.

Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.

Digital Editor