(Representative image)

NEW DELHI: Spot airfares have sharply risen with the full effect of SpiceJet ’s 12 Boeing 737 Max grounding being felt on Thursday. While the airline claimed about 35 of its daily flights will be affected, sources say the number could be much higher. Aviation authorities say the number of flights actually cancelled may be available only on Friday.

SpiceJet sources say it has increased utilisation of its 64 planes that include Boeing 737 (not Max but new generation or NG) and turboprop Bombardier by mounting additional frequencies on them. SpiceJet’s Delhi-Kabul flight is cancelled due to Pakistan airspace closure. The B737 used on that route is now being used for domestic flights and two wet leased planes (hired with operating crew) are likely to start flying by Saturday.

Meanwhile, SpiceJet and aviation authorities, including Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), denied reports of the airline flying the B737 Max after the deadline of 4 pm on Wednesday. “Our last ferry flight (without passengers) landed at Ahmedabad from Mumbai at 3.50 pm on Wednesday. No aircraft was airborne after 4 pm,” said a SpiceJet spokesman.

About Jet Airways , a senior DGCA official said there was no move to limit the forward ticket sale period of the airline. Jet has grounded almost half its fleet and is awaiting infusion of funds from Abu Dhabi-based Etihad which has 24% stake in it. Jet had asked Etihad to infuse Rs 750 crore this week as emergency fund, something that has not happened. Jet had warned the airline may be grounded if that funding does not come.

Etihad itself is not in good financial condition. It has lost $1.28 billion in 2018, slightly less than the $1.52 billion loss in 2017. Since 2016, Etihad has in all lost $4.75 billion. Whether it can in this condition give bailout funds to Jet remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, SpiceJet is trying to minimise the pain of the 12 grounded Max. “Some low yield off-season long international flights like Ahmedabad-Muscat have been withdrawn and the aircraft is instead being used to do multiple shorter domestic flights. Two wet lease planes will start operating from Saturday. The network has been rejigged. We have put the 78-seater Q400 on low demand routes to free up B737 NG from their to be used on other routes,” said sources. It has clubbed some flights.

Though the low cost carrier is making alternate arrangements, the grounding of the 12 additional planes (B737 Max) comes at a time when over 50 of Jet aircraft have been grounded by unpaid lessors; over 23 of Air India planes do not have engines; many of GoAir are grounded and IndiGo has cancelled 30 flights daily due to shortage of pilots till early April.

Indian airports are, in fact witnessing a paradox of many Jet’s Boeing 737s, including five Max, being grounded with SpiceJet’s 12 Max while the latter is trying hard to wet lease planes (hire with crew) to tide over the shortage. However, officials say it is not possible for SpiceJet to use Jet’s grounded B737. The due legal process will need to be followed for that.

