DGCA orders Spicejet to refund fare

New Delhi: Cracking the whip, aviation regulator DGCA has ordered low cost carrier SpiceJet to refund the fare to all passengers of a Mumbai-Delhi flight that was delayed by over four and a half hours last month, sources said.

The DGCA also asked SpiceJet to refund the money it charged from passengers of this delayed flight by selling food and beverages, instead of offering it free in accordance with the laid-down rules.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft carrying 172 passengers including two infants, reportedly developed a snag which delayed departure considerably.

Another aircraft was then pressed into service, replacing the 189-seater aircraft, to operate Flight SG-419 on June 16 after a delay of over four-and-a-half hours.

Acting on a complaint of a passenger, the DGCA conducted a probe and found that the flight was delayed due to "technical problems twice on account of “leading edge flap transit light” and rejected take-off due “take-off configuration” warning.

The warning flashed on the cockpit flight panel, indicating there would be no air-conditioning through the entire flight after take-off. This led to the flight departure being delayed and the aircraft being changed.

The DGCA probe found that during the entire delay at Mumbai, SpiceJet sold food and beverages in the aircraft in violation of rules —  Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 3 — which detail the facilities airlines should provide to passengers affected by the cancellation of or delay in flights for more than two hours.

In response to the DGCA action, an airline spokesperson said, "SpiceJet, like most airlines, serves food on the ground during the delay in cases like this, and we will be responding shortly to the DGCA."

He, however, did not comment on the flight delay but said the airline would respond to the DGCA regarding the order issued.