NEW DELHI: SpiceJet passengers can expect smooth services
across the country on December 19 as the ailing low-cost airline plans to
operate 230 flights, the same as it did on the previous day.
The carrier normalised its operations on December 18
after it cleared dues to oil companies and got a 15-day breather from the
Airport Authority of India (AAI) and the GMR group, which operates Delhi and
Hyderabad airports, for payment of airport charges.
The airline was forced to operate a badly truncated
schedule till December 17 due to severe cash crunch that had led to oil
companies refusing fuel for its planes.
Delhi airport officials confirmed that the airline has
had a fairly smooth schedule, with over eight flights departing since early
morning on December 19, although it had to cancel a flight to Dehradun and a
flight to Aurangabad got delayed.
Former promoter Ajay Singh and two "blue-chip
international investors" are set to pump in about Rs 1,200 crore to rescue
the airline which faces a deep financial crisis, according to people familiar
with the matter.
While the airline owes over Rs 200 crore to AAI, it owes
Rs 55 crore to Delhi and Hyderabad airports. The airline, which used to operate
a schedule of 345 flights a day till July, had to curtail its operations after
it started returning aircraft to the lessors since October
The airline does not have any firm plans to expand
operations, but it will add aircraft to its fleet and increase the number of
flights once the investment comes in, one of the persons cited earlier said.
Courtesy: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/