Must convert Covid-19 adversity into opportunity: SpiceJet CMD

By Rohit Vaid

New Delhi, April 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) Even as SpiceJet prepares a blueprint to eventually re-start operations with new safety norms, the companys top official believes the Centre will support the industry through these tough times and turn the Covid-19 adversity into an opportunity by ushering in structural reforms.

According to SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh: "Aviation is one of the hardest hit industries with absolutely no revenue, as there are no flights flying. This is a global phenomenon."

Singh pointed out that other countries such as the US, Germany, Singapore and the ones in the Middle East have all given grants and loans to save their respective aviation industries.

"We believe that our government is going to help us, but having said that, you know there is also an opportunity in this sector to try and fix the structural problems that we always had for years," he told IANS.

Singh, however, did not reveal any industry estimate required to support the domestic airlines.

Besides, he said the sector will require Centre's support to maintain the workforce, since passenger-side revenues have plunged to the nil-mark.

At present, no domestic or international passenger flight operations are allowed in the country in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. However, cargo operations have been permitted to continue.

"The revenues have come down to zero for the most part and that is clearly not a sustainable situation. We also have lease rentals to be paid for the aircraft... most airlines have aircraft that they have taken on lease and they have to be paid irrespective of the crisis," Singh said.

"Our fixed costs are relatively high and for that we will need some support. This time I think what most people are trying to do is to send people on leave without pay so that there are no job losses per se, and get these people back as soon as flight operations resume. What we have done is to pay in full to the employees at the lowest level of the pyramid," he added.

Last month, the airline instituted a company-wide salary cut for its employees for the month of March, barring the ones in the lowest pay bracket.

Accordingly, the airline implemented a 10-30 per cent pay cut for all its employees across top and mid levels.

Nevertheless, Singh said the airline will support the Centre's decision if it chooses to extend the lockdown beyond April 15.

"As far as taking the decision of starting the flights is concerned, it is for the government to decide," he said.

"Whenever they decide to start the flights, we should do this in a manner following all the instructions that we possibly can in terms of sanitising our aircraft and protecting our passengers with face masks and disinfectants and so on," he added.

In terms of cargo operations, the airline has made a mark by ferrying the largest quantity of medical cargo in both domestic and international routes.

Till now during the lockdown period, the airline has operated special cargo flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong and a host of other places carrying vital supplies.

"We are focusing on flying our aircraft to fly essential goods, food, medicines and medical equipment from one part of the country to another and also to places like Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Vietnam. We will try and do our duty and fly as much of this essential lifesaving equipment, medicines, food etc. as we are asked to. That is our clear focus at this time," Singh said.

Additionally, the airline has prepared an extensive blueprint and tested new protocols which will be used as and when operations resume.

As per the blueprint, emphasis has been laid on "social distancing" norms, right from check-in counters to the terminal ferry buses and on-board the aircraft. In the first instance, the airline has marked coaches and aircraft seats with "X" which means "no occupancy".

Even the aircraft boarding staircase steps are marked properly to set a distance of one metre between the passengers. Furthermore, the airline is training its crew to operate in the new environment -- on-board and off-board.

Last month, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed passengers inside the aircraft not to sit next to each other and to leave a seat empty between two passengers.

(Rohit Vaid can be contacted at rohit.v@ians.in)

Source: IANS