Low-cost carrier SpiceJet, which has had repeated issues with regards to payment of salaries to employees on time, has said that it will adhere to the new labour codes that were brought into effect from November 21.
Employees of the Delhi-based loss-making airline have complained about delayed salaries twice since August 2024. The last instance came as recent as September 2025 when assistant manager level and above employees reportedly faced delays of 10-15 days.
In the same September quarter, SpiceJet recorded a rise of 45% in consolidated net loss at Rs 621 crore compared to Rs 458 crore reported in the same quarter last year. The previous instances of delayed salaries also came in the September quarter (2024 and 2023).
SpiceJet employees are hoping that the company will follow the new labour rules laid out by the government, which mandates payment of salaries by the seventh of every month.
Responding to a query from Moneycontrol, a SpiceJet spokesperson said, “SpiceJet remains committed to the welfare of its employees and will continue to ensure that all regulatory requirements are adhered to.”
Delayed salaries at the time of strained financial condition is not a new phenomenon. Almost a year before going belly up in mid-2023, Wadia group-promoted Go First failed to pay its employees for several months. Before flying into the hands to the Tata group, state-owned Air India too struggled to pay salaries on time.
The pilot community is not too thrilled by the recent changes to the labour laws.
“Salary is just one-third of the pilot package. A company can just keep paying the salary by 7th and keep delaying the allowances which makes the major chunk. This is exactly what used to happen in Air India before its privatisation,” said a member of a pilot’s union.
Improving health
Recent financial and operational changes points to a reviving situation at SpiceJet. From an operational fleet of 19 recorded at the end of September, 2025, the company claimed it had 35 operational aircraft as of November 26, a jump of 84%.
Even its total fleet size is claimed to have risen by 14 aircraft to 68 from 54 registered at the end of September. The 14 are damp-leased. As of September 30, 2025, SpiceJet was operating 100 daily flights. With these latest additions, the airline’s daily operations have now surged to 176 flights per day.
SpiceJet is aiming to bring up to eight of its grounded Boeing aircraft back into service by April 2026, including four in the early winter period to meet peak travel demand. Two have already rejoined the fleet, up to two more ungrounded and inducted into the fleet by December 2025, and the remaining four are planned to return by early summer 2026.
“The airline has taken significant steps over the past year to strengthen its financial position, improve cash flows, and streamline internal processes,” the spokesperson added.
On November 19, the company announced the completion of its equity share allotment to Carlyle Aviation Partners, aimed at strengthening its balance sheet by clearing of debt to the tune of Rs 442.25 crore.
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