Explained: What Is Behind Multiple Incidents Of Spicejet Mid Air Turbulence

The Delhi-based airline SpiceJet has suffered technical issues with its fleet of aircraft during the past few months. These occurrences exposed the passengers of the affected aircraft to serious safety issues and raised questions about the state of SpiceJet's fleet.

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In less than 10 months, there were 13 such events.

What is turbulence and how does it impact an airplane?

Turbulence is the name given to an abrupt, sudden change in the airflow's pressure and velocity that can push or pull an airplane.

Minor shocks and prolonged powerful shaking of the aircraft can result from turbulence, which can also lead to extremely dangerous situations.

TOI

The equilibrium of the aircraft is not significantly affected by moderate turbulence, and the occupants only experience minimal discomfort. Extreme turbulence can result in rapid changes in the airplane's altitude as well as its speed.

Extreme turbulence can cause an aircraft to shake severely, making it difficult to manage and maintain stability in the air.

There are at least seven different types of turbulence, reported the Indian Express. In most often cases, a plane passes through a weather-related phenomenon, thunderstorm, or a dense cloud that might cause turbulence.

Budget airlines

In September 2021, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted an audit of SpiceJet and found that the airline was experiencing a serious cash shortage and that its maintenance practices were alarming.

In addition, it stated in a show-cause letter sent to SpiceJet on July 6 that "SpiceJet has failed to develop safe, efficient, and reliable aviation services under Aircraft Rules, 1937."

It further stated that it had discovered that component suppliers were not receiving regular payments, which caused a lack of spare parts.

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Lenish Patel, Team Lead at aviation consultancy CAPA (Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation) India, told The Quint, "Financial crunch is a visible cause of concern and without a significant recap, structural challenges such as recent ones cannot be avoided. However, we still have to wait for SpiceJet to respond to the show-cause notice to understand the severity of the challenge," he added.

As reported by the news agency PTI, SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh have so far rejected the idea that the recent problems were caused by a lack of replacement components.

According to senior writer N Madhavan, aviation corporations are lowering expenses in the era of low-cost airlines, and this appears to be having an impact on maintenance, reported the Quint. He emphasized that most airlines have been operating within budget constraints, especially given the additional strain of the pandemic.

India¡¯s policy for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) industry

Jyotiraditya Scindia, India's minister of civil aviation, spoke about a number of adjustments the country wants to make to the MRO industry in September of last year. He criticized the fact that India only accounts for a meager 2.5 percent of the enormous $80 billion worldwide airplane maintenance market.

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Some significant modifications to MRO policy to draw investment include

-Instead of being allocated based on an entity's request, leasing of land will henceforth be done through open tenders.

-Instead of the current 3 to 5 years, land for MRO facilities would be allocated for 30 years.

-Instead of the existing procedure where tariffs are set by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), lease rentals would be decided through a bidding process.

-Instead of the existing 7.5 to 10% yearly increase, the rate of lease rental escalation would be 15 percent every three years.

The ministry also identified eight AAI-run airports where MRO facilities will be developed ¨C Begumpet, Bhopal, Chennai, Chandigarh, Delhi, Juhu in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Tirupati.

The inefficient DGCA

Although the airline's financial difficulties seem to be a more pressing issue, the DGCA's neglect is a contributing factor.

Prosenjit Datta, business and markets specialist, Ernst & Young, told the Quint, ¡°The DGCA frequently only raises concerns after hearing a negative news story regarding potential accidents and engine breakdowns. This can be the result of the regulating body's staffing shortage, which prevents them from meeting all safety criteria.¡±