The pilots of Spicejet flight SG 3703 are said to have taken off on December 30, 2021 with the VT-SUQ without a take-off permit from air traffic control in Rajkot (India). The civil aviation authority opened an official investigation. The captain and first officer are temporarily suspended from duty.

The de Havilland Dash 8-400 with the registration VT-SUQ rolled to the runway at Rajkot Airport on December 30, 2021 and took off. Since no release was requested, the turboprop aircraft did not receive one either. During the climb, the air traffic controller in charge clearly indicated to the master via radio that he had taken off without the necessary permission. The pilots admitted the mistake and climbed further to 25.000 feet for the can over two-hour flight to the Indian capital. The plane landed in New Delhi at 11:26 a.m. local time without further incident.

The Indian Civil Aviation Authority (DGCA) does not take the matter lightly, but speaks to the “Times of India” about a “serious mistake” that can be blamed on the pilots. An official investigation into the incident has been initiated and the withdrawal of the pilot's license is not ruled out.

The airline Spicejet admitted the incident and stressed that the pilots affected are suspended from duty with immediate effect until they have been fully investigated. A decision will be made on the continuation or termination of the employment relationship at a later point in time and will probably also await the investigation report from the aviation authority.

It is extremely rare for pilots in commercial aviation to forget to obtain take-off permits. Sometimes such behavior also has a criminal background, for example airplane smuggling or terrorists on board. However, neither was the case in India, so that, based on the current state of information, it can be assumed that the pilots made an unintentional mistake.

Taking off or landing without the permission of air traffic control is extremely dangerous. In the past, a lack of communication, which was also due to technical reasons, led to a serious accident. In 1977 two Boeing 747s (KLM and Pan Am) collided at Tenerife North Airport. 583 people were killed and 61 inmates survived, some with serious injuries.