SpiceJet lessor asks India's DGCA to de-register its Boeing aircraft

(Reuters) - Alterna Aircraft Ltd, an Ireland-based lessor of budget-airline SpiceJet Ltd, has asked India's aviation regulator to de-register its plane.

Alterna, in its request dated Monday to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), did not specify the reason to de-register one of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

"This aircraft is part of early termination agreement executed with the lessor way back in November 2021," a SpiceJet spokesperson said. "This aircraft has already been removed from our fleet for over eight months and does not in any manner affect our operations or schedule".

The airline has been under the spotlight lately after a slew of incidents related to technical snags on its flights. One of its Dubai-based lessors had also asked the Indian aviation regulator to de-register three of SpiceJet's planes.

Lessors typically apply for de-registration when lease agreements are terminated for reasons such as nonpayment of lease rentals.

India's aviation regulator last month ordered SpiceJet to slash its approved fleet to 50% this summer for eight weeks citing safety snags and said it will subject the domestic airline to "enhanced surveillance".

(Reporting by Aditi Shah in New Delhi and Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat and Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)