India / SpiceJet becomes 1st Indian budget airline to operate flights to US

New Delhi: Budget airline SpiceJet on Thursday said it has been designated as the “Indian scheduled carrier,” to operate flights to the United States.

The airline will be the first Indian budget carrier to operate services to the US. It did not say when the services will begin.

National carrier Air India is currently the only Indian airline operating flights to the US after all international commercial air passenger services were suspended since March 22, in the wake of travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a regulatory filing SpiceJet said it has been designated as an Indian scheduled carrier to operate on agreed services between the two countries according to the terms of the Air Services Agreement between India and the United States, SpiceJet said in a regulatory filing, according to PTI.

SpiceJet chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said, “I have always maintained that there is an opportunity in every adversity and the present crisis situation has seen SpiceJet rise to the occasion and play a pivotal role.”

He also said the designation as an Indian scheduled carrier to operate between India and the US would help the airline in planning its international expansion in a much better and calibrated manner.

Singh that the airline operated over 4300 cargo flights carrying over 24,000 tons of cargo and over 400 charter flights to bring back thousands of stranded Indian nationals back home during the pandemic and has “worked non-stop and contributed in whatever manner possible.”