Budget carrier SpiceJet has delayed salary payments for a section of its workforce, citing a phased disbursement system during lean financial periods. The airline said the process, which spans a few days, is a routine practice followed whenever cash flows are under pressure.
According to people aware of the matter, employees earning up to Rs 55,000 have been paid on time. Senior staff, however, are facing delays in receiving their August salaries. By 7 September, more than 60 per cent of the company’s workforce had received their dues, while the remainder is expected to be cleared gradually.
SpiceJet’s latest annual report shows it employs 6,484 people, including nearly 4,900 permanent staff. The company has maintained that its phased approach to salary disbursement is known to employees and has been followed consistently over time.
The development comes against the backdrop of the airline’s weak financial performance. For the April–June quarter of FY26, SpiceJet reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 234 crore. This was a sharp reversal from a net profit of Rs 158 crore in the same period last year. Operational revenues fell more than 34 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1,120 crore, compared with Rs 1,708 crore a year earlier.
The airline attributed the losses to high costs related to grounded aircraft and efforts to bring them back into service. It also highlighted the impact of geopolitical tensions with a neighbouring country and restrictions on airspace access in certain regions, which dented leisure travel demand.
