Jet Airways has requested that SpiceJet remove its livery from the low-cost carrier’s aircraft after learning that it misleads the public about the identity of the operator and poses a safety risk.
Each airline has a unique livery, which is a particular paint job with a logo that is applied to aircraft.
According to Jet Airways, “After the halt of our operations in 2019, many aircraft were returned to the lessors and then leased out to select Indian operators like as SpiceJet,” in a letter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on June 21.
Many of these aircraft are still in use today, but the name Jet Airways is obscured and covered up by decals (a vinyl wrap) on the fuselage and tail, the statement continued.
Additionally, it noted that the Jet Airways emblem on the tail had been painted over but could still be seen with careful inspection.
The letter also mentioned that some of these planes had been involved in mishaps or incidents, of which media outlets had publicly distributed photos.
According to the article, one such instance is the runway excursion of a SpiceJet B737 in Mumbai in 2019 when the Jet Airways colour scheme and a portion of the logo are clearly apparent in the still-available photographs online.
Jet Airways anticipates beginning commercial flight operations in September after receiving its renewed air operator certificate (AOC) from the DGCA on May 20 of this year.
SpiceJet’s fleet consists of about 90 aircraft. Before Jet Airways’ bankruptcy in 2019, some of the B737 aircraft it owns were with that company.
Jet Airways wrote in its letter that airline liveries are vital expressions of branding and corporate identity, and all operators strive to make theirs as distinctive and easily recognisable as possible.
It follows that it is obvious that an operator operating its aircraft in another airline’s livery has a substantial potential to deceive the public about who the operator is, something that was noted as being something that must be taken lightly.
According to the statement, “This is also a safety problem as it may cause confusion among ground personnel and crew members operating other aircraft as to the identify of the aircraft in question, for instance when following ATC (air traffic controller) directives.”
It was noted that this issue worsens when such aircraft are involved in unfavourable events like mishaps, incidents, or interceptions in foreign airspace.
In the letter, it was asked that “your office give required instructions to all operators to use only their own authorised livery as filed with the DGCA compulsorily and to remove all remnants of other airline liveries from their aircraft.”
An early action from your good office to ensure that all such unauthorised liveries are removed by July would be greatly appreciated, the letter stated. “As we plan to begin operations in September and expect to have aircraft in our livery delivered to us in July this year,” it said.
In response to the situation, a SpiceJet representative issued the following statement to PTI: “The DGCA has not reached out to us in any way. Many of the older aircraft are already being phased out of the fleet. The 737MAX is taking their place.”
Naresh Goyal was the owner of Jet Airways, which operated its final flight on April 17, 2019. Presently, Jet Airways is being promoted by the Jalan-Kalrock Consortium.
PTI asked Jet Airways to comment on the situation, but they didn’t.
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