As passengers have discovered to their great inconvenience, the Indian aviation industry has hit some turbulence. After Kingfisher Airlines shut down two years ago, low-cost carrier SpiceJet Airlines is now facing the danger of having its fleet grounded.
SpiceJet’s problems are due to its increasing debt to oil companies, even as a government bailout package of Rs 200 crore failed to inspire confidence among the private lenders. SpiceJet has already cancelled over 1,800 flights in recent days, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Here’s a look at the airports and routes that are only connected by SpiceJet.
1. Hubli airport
Hubli airport serves the cities of Dharwad and Hubli and is being expanded into an all weather airport at the cost of Rs. 1.6 billion. But that may all be in vain. The only airline running flights to and from the airport is SpiceJet. If the company folds up, Hubli will lose connectivity to Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore and Jabalpur.
2. Tuticorin
Recently equipped with night-landing facilities, the Tuticorin airport is being expanded to accommodate more passengers than its current limit of 72 people at peak hours. It now hosts only one commercial flight, a SpiceJet connection to Chennai.
3. Mysore
Mysore airport has always had a sketchy past. The airport was shut down for two decades before Kingfisher started services in 2010. When Kingfisher went belly up, Mysore airport was empty ‒ until SpiceJet started flights last August. It offered the opportunity for passengers from Kochi, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Belgaum, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata and Delh ito travel to Mysore via Bangalore
4. Jabalpur-Mumbai
Jabalpur airport in Madhya Pradesh is the only air connection for tourists visiting the temples of Khajuraho and the state's national parks. SpiceJet flies the airport's only direct connection to Mumbai.
The other flight at Jabalpur is the Air-India plane to New Delhi.
5. Chennai-Kozhikode
Kozhikode attracts tourism for its temples and students at its Indian Institute of Management. However, if SpiceJet makes an exit, the city will lose direct connectivity to several cities, including Chennai which was exclusively serviced by SpiceJet since 2012. Travellers would have to take connecting flight through Coimbatore, probably switching carriers.
People travelling to Bangalore would face the same problem.
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SpiceJet’s problems are due to its increasing debt to oil companies, even as a government bailout package of Rs 200 crore failed to inspire confidence among the private lenders. SpiceJet has already cancelled over 1,800 flights in recent days, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Here’s a look at the airports and routes that are only connected by SpiceJet.
1. Hubli airport
Hubli airport serves the cities of Dharwad and Hubli and is being expanded into an all weather airport at the cost of Rs. 1.6 billion. But that may all be in vain. The only airline running flights to and from the airport is SpiceJet. If the company folds up, Hubli will lose connectivity to Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore and Jabalpur.
2. Tuticorin
Recently equipped with night-landing facilities, the Tuticorin airport is being expanded to accommodate more passengers than its current limit of 72 people at peak hours. It now hosts only one commercial flight, a SpiceJet connection to Chennai.
3. Mysore
Mysore airport has always had a sketchy past. The airport was shut down for two decades before Kingfisher started services in 2010. When Kingfisher went belly up, Mysore airport was empty ‒ until SpiceJet started flights last August. It offered the opportunity for passengers from Kochi, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Belgaum, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata and Delh ito travel to Mysore via Bangalore
4. Jabalpur-Mumbai
Jabalpur airport in Madhya Pradesh is the only air connection for tourists visiting the temples of Khajuraho and the state's national parks. SpiceJet flies the airport's only direct connection to Mumbai.
The other flight at Jabalpur is the Air-India plane to New Delhi.
5. Chennai-Kozhikode
Kozhikode attracts tourism for its temples and students at its Indian Institute of Management. However, if SpiceJet makes an exit, the city will lose direct connectivity to several cities, including Chennai which was exclusively serviced by SpiceJet since 2012. Travellers would have to take connecting flight through Coimbatore, probably switching carriers.
People travelling to Bangalore would face the same problem.