As SpiceJet Faces Financial Crisis, Many Staff Members Without Salaries Since March
March salaries have been released for those earning up to Rs 51,000, while February salaries were paid last week, reports Surabhi Gupta.
Published : June 9, 2026 at 8:33 PM IST
New Delhi: Many employees of SpiceJet, including pilots, engineers, ground staff, security personnel and cabin crew, have not received their salaries since March, according to employees and internal communications reviewed by ETV Bharat. The delay comes at a time when the airline is seeking emergency financial support under a government-backed credit scheme to keep its operations running.
As of March, SpiceJet had around 375 pilots. An employee of SpiceJet told ETV Bharat that the issue is affecting staff across departments. "Not only pilots, but engineering, ground handling, security, inflight crew and even the lowest-paid support staff have pending dues since March," the employee said.
A senior management source of SpiceJet told ETV Bharat, "The crisis is not limited to pilots. Staff across engineering, ground handling, security, cabin crew, and support services have pending dues since March. Even loaders and drivers have reportedly not been paid. March salaries were released only for employees earning up to Rs 51,000, while February salaries were paid as recently as last week. Meanwhile, airport operators, ground handlers, and fuel suppliers are increasingly operating on a cash-and-carry basis."
The situation has also raised concerns among pilot representatives. Sam Thomas, president of the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India), told ETV Bharat, "In India, pilots often continue flying despite financial stress because leaving the job could affect their flying hours and licence requirements. There are inadequate legal safeguards to ensure timely salary payments for pilots, and there is a lack of support from regulators and authorities. We faced the same situation seven years back with Jet Airways."
Despite its financial troubles, SpiceJet is trying to expand operations. On Monday, the airline announced that it had returned a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to service and signed a lease agreement for three Airbus A320 aircraft along with crew members. The new planes are expected to join the fleet in July to meet rising passenger demand.
However, the airline's financial challenges remain significant. SpiceJet currently operates 21 aircraft, and its share price has fallen nearly 60% this year. According to aviation analytics firm OAG, the airline operated 3,053 scheduled flights in May, down from 4,494 flights in January.
SpiceJet has faced financial difficulties several times over the past decade. The airline has previously delayed employee salaries during periods of financial stress. Its problems worsened after the global grounding of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in 2019, followed by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of legal and payment disputes.
Although SpiceJet reported a small profit in the financial year ending March 2025, the gain was largely due to one-time settlements with aircraft lessors. A source familiar with the matter said at least two aircraft leasing companies have issued payment default notices to the airline this year.
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