Salary Payments Held Up For Many SpiceJet Staff, Sources Say
Assistant Managers and above reportedly face 10–15 day delays while employees earning up to Rs 55,000 are paid on time
Mumbai, Sep 14: Budget airline SpiceJet has been delaying salary payments for a sizable portion of its workforce over the past few months, according to a source.
Employees earning up to Rs 55,000 per month have received their August salaries on time, while higher-level staff, mostly Assistant Managers and above, are facing delays of 10–15 days, the source said. The airline did not respond to queries on the matter.
SpiceJet, headquartered in Gurugram, had 6,484 employees, including 4,894 permanent staff, according to its FY25 annual report. The report also noted that the airline had extended an interest-free advance of Rs 32 crore to Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh over five years, which was adjusted against subsequent salary payments and is not considered prejudicial to the company’s interests.
The airline reported a net loss of Rs 238 crore in the June quarter of 2025. As of September 13, only 18 aircraft were operational out of a fleet of 53, despite multiple announcements over the past year to expand the fleet by at least 10 planes each time.
At the end of July 2024, SpiceJet had 18 operational planes and 38 grounded. During a Rs 3,000 crore QIP last year, the airline had stated the funds would be used to operationalise grounded aircraft, acquire new planes, invest in technology, and expand into new markets.
