Delhi-Bound SpiceJet Flight Takes Off Without ATC's Clearance, Probe Underway

Pilots of the Rajkot-Delhi flight are off the roster, while the DGCA has ordered a probe into the incident.

Representational image.

(Photo: Reuters) 

A Delhi-bound SpiceJet passenger flight took off on Thursday, 30 December, from the airport in Rajkot, Gujarat, without any clearance from the Air Traffic Controller (ATC). This clearance is mandatory for all flights. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a probe into this incident.

This passenger flight took off from Rajkot at 9:30 AM for Delhi, and it landed at around 11:15 AM.

The pilots of this flight have been taken off the roster and will not be flying till the inquiry is done, a SpiceJet spokesperson told PTI.

All aircraft, including passenger flights, are required to take a set of mandatory permissions from the Air Traffic Controller at several stages, before taking off. Before the final permission is given for take-off, multiple permissions are sought, from the starting of engines to standing in the line-up.

The pilots, in this incident, failed to take the final clearance before taking off. The reason for this is still unknown and the probe is underway to determine the same.

(With Inputs from PTI.)