SpiceJet CEO Ajay Singh says flights to Lakshadweep, Ayodhya to start soon

SpiceJet chairman and managing director Ajay Singh on December 10 said the airline has exclusive rights under the government's regional connectivity scheme, and will soon launch its air services to Lakshadweep and the holy city Ayodhya.

Addressing the shareholders at the annual general meeting (AGM), the Spicejet CMD said the latest fund infusion worth ₹2,250 crore will help the airline become stronger. It will also open market potential and opportunities for the company and help bring its grounded aircraft back into operations, Singh added.

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The Spicejet chairman’s statement on the airline's plans for Lakshadweep comes amid the ongoing diplomatic row between India and the Maldives and the searches on the internet related to the Union territory in the Arabian Sea have shot up, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit last week.

Derogatory comments were made by three Maldivian deputy ministers - Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Sharyf and Mahzoom Majid - against India and PM Modi after he visited Lakshadweep and shared some images of him visiting beaches and snorkelling for promotion of tourism in Lakshadweep Islands. The ministers were subsequently suspended by the Maldivian government.

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Subsequently, there have been calls to boycott the Maldives, which had emerged as a hot destination for Indian leisure travellers post the 2019 pandemic, by some industry bodies as well as travel booking platforms.

On January 9, a report said that the Indian government was planning to build a new airfield at the Minicoy Islands of Lakshadweep capable of operating civilian along with military aircraft, including fighter jets.

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As of January 7, SpiceJet had 39 aircraft in operations while 26 were on the ground, as per data available on the fleet tracking website Planespotter.