SpiceJet navigates turbulence with ‘calibrated’ push to rebuild capacity

SpiceJet is taking a “calibrated approach” to rebuilding its capacity and strengthening its network, with improving aircraft availability and operational reliability among its immediate priorities, the airline told ET Online.

The airline’s capacity rebuilding efforts come against the backdrop of earlier reports of flight delays and cancellations, as well as questions about the airline’s operational capacity.

Delhi Airport also issued a passenger advisory on Thursday, warning that some flights may be affected due to operational challenges faced by SpiceJet. It asked passengers to contact the airline directly for the latest updates on their flight status and travel plans.


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The airline said wet- and damp-lease aircraft had started arriving, helping it expand operations and restore destinations including Goa, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Varanasi and Port Blair.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), under a wet lease, an airline rents an aircraft along with its crew, maintenance and insurance, while a damp lease generally includes the aircraft and flight crew but leaves some responsibilities, such as cabin crew, to the lessee airline.

The airline said the additions would support a gradual rebuilding of its network, with operational reliability remaining central to its plans.

The scale of the fleet challenge was indicated by figures reported by PTI on October 12, citing aircraft-tracking website Planespotters.net. According to the report, SpiceJet at that time had 10 aircraft in its operational fleet, including two Q400s, while 37 aircraft remained parked. These figures, however, do not establish the airline's current fleet position. The airline did not specify how many leased aircraft have currently arrived or how many were expected to join its fleet.

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“Our immediate priority is to strengthen operational stability and build greater resilience into our schedules. We are working on improving aircraft availability, optimising resources and ensuring that operational issues are addressed as quickly as possible,” SpiceJet spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that, like several airlines, SpiceJet was operating in a challenging aviation environment, citing aircraft availability, maintenance requirements, schedule constraints, airspace closures and rising operating costs, particularly fuel costs, amid geopolitical conflicts.

The airline’s operational performance was also reflected in the DGCA’s September data reported by PTI. SpiceJet on-time performance (OTP) was reported at 16.6%, compared with 91.1% for IndiGo, 90.8% for Akasa Air and 81.7% for the Air India Group. The regulator calculates OTP across 10 major airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

SpiceJet’s domestic market share fell to 0.6% in September from 1.2% in August, according to data reported by PTI. IndiGo’s share, meanwhile, rose to 65.4% from 65%. Domestic air traffic across airlines declined 6.5% year-on-year to a little over 1.18 crore passengers during the month.

The DGCA has also been monitoring the airline. In an October 5 statement, SpiceJet clarified that regulatory monitoring should not be interpreted as a fresh finding of safety deficiencies.

The airline’s assurances come amid passenger complaints about delays and cancellations, with videos circulating on social media showing alleged disruptions and confrontations involving passengers and airline staff.

“As more capacity comes into the system, we expect to progressively improve schedule resilience, expand connectivity and offer passengers a more consistent travel experience in the weeks and months ahead,” the spokesperson said.

SpiceJet said it recognised that work remained to be done and that its focus was on addressing operational challenges in a sustained manner. “Our endeavour is to steadily strengthen operations, restore more destinations and provide passengers with a dependable experience,” the spokesperson added.