Snag-hit SpiceJet gets instruction on fleet maintenance

Following repeated snags in SpiceJet’s Bombardier Q400 fleet in recent months — including smoke in the cabin of a flight which then had to make an emergency landing last Wednesday (Oct 12), — the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a string of directives to the cash-strapped airline for continuing to use this aircraft.
The low cost carrier has 14 operational Q400s and it has been asked not to send any of the Pratt & Whitney (PW) PW150A engines, with 28 powering these 14 planes, to a maintenance organisation in Singapore, Standard Aero. Probes of past few incidents showed snags had been detected in engines that had been overhauled by this company.
“One time boroscopic inspection of all (Q400) operational engines (will be conducted) within a week and completion of boroscopic inspection on three engines, which have been received from Standard Aero, Singapore, (to be done) by Monday night,” the DGCA said .
-B