The court directed the budget airline to ground these engines by August 16 and return them to the two lessors – Team France 01 SAS and Sunbird France 02 SAS – within 15 days and make further arrangements for inspection. This decision followed the lessors' rejection of SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh's offer to pledge his shares as collateral for the airline's outstanding liabilities. In 2022, following a series of safety issues in quick succession, the DGCA had allowed SpiceJet to operate only 50 per cent of its fleet.