SpiceJet Crisis: 15-20 Flights Cancelled Daily, Pay Delayed

SpiceJet is cancelling 15 to 20 flights daily despite operating around 65 scheduled flights a day, with several flights cancelled after hours of delay, Gujarat Samachar reported on 10 November 2026, citing sources.

The latest disruption came to light on Monday, when around 189 passengers were stranded at Ahmedabad airport for more than 12 hours after SpiceJet flight SG 9634 to Srinagar failed to depart as scheduled.

The flight was scheduled for 8.40 am, and passengers had arrived at the airport between 5 and 6 am. They waited for over 12 hours before the disruption became clear.

Cash-and-carry operations

The airline is reportedly operating on a cash-and-carry basis, paying upfront for services, with unpaid dues suspected to aircraft lessors, oil companies, airport operators and ground-handling agencies, according to the report.

Airport sources suggested the aircraft may have been unable to refuel over payment issues with the oil company, but there is no official confirmation of that. SpiceJet initially attributed the disruption to technical reasons.

The report stresses that the payment claims come from sources, not from official statements. The airline has not confirmed the dues or the reasons behind the cancellations beyond technical reasons.

Shrinking fleet, unpaid salaries

Sources say the operational fleet has shrunk to around 12 aircraft, three of them grounded over non-payment of dues to lessors, according to the report.

Employees have reportedly not received salaries since June 2026. That claim, like the fleet figures, comes from sources cited by the report and has not been officially confirmed.

The combination of daily cancellations, a shrinking fleet and unpaid salaries points to deepening financial trouble at the airline. Passengers are bearing the immediate cost, with long waits and cancelled flights.

For the 189 passengers stranded at Ahmedabad airport, the disruption meant a lost day and an uncertain journey to Srinagar. Their experience is one of many such disruptions reported across the airline's network.