The Civil Aviation ministry has passed a new order which is not being well received by the private airport operating companies. As per this new order, private airline SpiceJet is being allowed to handle its cargo on its own from “off-airport facilities”. As per the ET report on the matter, this order has been issued in accordance with the regulations that control handling of cargo on an airport, named Ground Handling Regulations (GHA). However, this move is not being well received by the private companies that handle the airports in India as this comes as a loss of revenue for them.
Civil Aviation Ministry Writes to BCAS
As per the private airport operators, all cargo should move through the handlers at the airport because of safety concerns. The operators argue that if it is not the case then it creates safety concerns. It is worth noting that SpiceJet would not start handling its cargo right away. But, it would happen after the aviation security watchdog, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) gives the required clearance to the airline.
The aviation ministry has written to BCAS saying, "The matter has been examined in this Ministry in the light of GHA regulations and permission of BCAS to SpiceJet Pvt Ltd to self-handle its own cargo and it has been decided that necessary instructions be issued to airport operators to comply with above directions and facilitates all domestic airlines for self-handling of their own cargo from off-airport facilities in a seamless manner and ensure that no hurdle is faced by the domestic airlines by the airport operators in the matter.”
SpiceJet Bags Grounded JetAirways Aircrafts
It is worth noting that SpiceJet’s dedicated cargo service called as SpiceXpress is operated with the help of a fleet of Boeing 737 planes. Similar to its expansion on the passengers’ front, the airline has also ramped up its cargo operations as well. After the closure of JetAirways, SpiceJet had benefitted a lot as it bagged a lot of grounded aircrafts from JetAirways.
