The Indian budget airline SpiceJet reported permission to operate services to both the UK and the US as the “Indian scheduled carrier”. 

On July 23, 2020, SpiceJet reported that it had been designated as the new “Indian scheduled carrier” for the US, making it the first Indian budget airline to operate flights to the United States. “This designation would help us plan for our international expansion in a much better and calibrated manner,” said the company’s Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh. 

SpiceJet did not rest on its laurels. On July 24, the company announced its new flying rights to the UK. “We would like to further inform you that in terms of the Air Services Agreement between the Government of India and the Government of the United Kingdom, SpiceJet has been designated as Indian scheduled carrier to operate on agreed services between India and the UK.”

There is no information about any specific routes or flight times as of yet. All international air passenger services were restricted since March 22, 2020 in response to the global pandemic and the prohibition was officially set to expire on July 31, 2020.

But according to Ajay Singh, SpiceJet’s designation as the scheduled carrier seems to have been well earned:

“The present crisis has seen Spicejet rise to the occasion and play a pivotal role. From operating over 4,300 cargo flights to carrying over 24,000 tons of cargo to operating over 400 charter flights to bring thousands of stranded Indian nationals back home, the airline has worked non-stop and contributed in whatever manner possible.”