Budget airline SpiceJet recently faced significant operational challenges resulting in several empty return flights from Dubai to India. The crisis unfolded after passengers were denied check-in at Dubai airport because the airline had outstanding payments. This led to numerous passengers being stranded at the airport, as SpiceJet was unable to fulfil its obligations to the ground-handling service provider Dnata.
Reports indicate that Dnata gave SpiceJet an ultimatum, stating they could only provide either passenger facilitation or fuel. Faced with this situation, SpiceJet chose to fly planes back to India without passengers, aiming to maintain its flight schedule and efficiently utilize its fleet.
A SpiceJet spokesperson attributed the cancellations to “operational issues” and assured that affected passengers were either accommodated on subsequent SpiceJet flights, rebooked on other airlines, or provided with full refunds. The spokesperson also stated that all scheduled flights from Dubai were now operating as planned.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of financial struggles for SpiceJet, which has been attempting to restore its operations despite multiple fundraising efforts over the past year. Earlier this month, the airline faced a similar disruption at Mumbai International Airport due to outstanding payments, which was eventually resolved.
SpiceJet’s financial troubles have also affected its employees, with reports indicating delays in salary, provident fund, and tax deducted at source payments for over two years. In response to these ongoing issues, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has placed SpiceJet under enhanced surveillance, which includes increased spot checks and night surveillance to ensure the safety of the airline’s operations. This decision follows a special audit of the airline’s engineering facilities earlier in August, where several deficiencies were identified.
