SpiceJet has been passing through turbulent times for some time now due to frequent technical glitches or incidents of bird hits. But this time it was not the airline’s fault. On 7 August, the pilots of the SpiceJet Dash 8-Q400 aircraft were disoriented moments before landing at the Kolkata airport when a kite hit the windshield of the aircraft. However, the pilots managed to make a safe landing and no one was hurt.
Soon after landing, the incident was reported to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and then to the police. Kite flying is strictly prohibited around the airport area, with special emphasis on the route taken by aircraft. The investigation has been started.
This is not the first time that such an incident has been reported, as usually during Durga Puja, laser lights and high-rise pandals distract pilots and affect flight activities. Last year, due to this problem, three pilots had to face difficulties while taking off and landing on the runway.
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As per the orders of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), SpiceJet is currently operating no more than 50 per cent of its flights. The regulator had in July barred the airline’s flights for a period of eight weeks as its planes were involved in at least eight incidents of technical fault in the period from June 19 to July 5.