New Delhi: SpiceJet, buoyed by a fresh infusion of ₹3,000 crore, has informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it plans to return all of its grounded planes to service within 18-24 months.
The airline has allocated ₹400 crore for spare parts, maintenance, and engineering as part of this revival effort. In the meantime, the airline will also wet-lease aircraft—leasing planes along with operating crews—to quickly expand its capacity. This update was shared with the DGCA during a review of SpiceJet’s post-funding fleet expansion plans.
The airline has informed that seven grounded aircraft will be flying again by the calendar year-end. The timing of this development coincides with the DGCA’s finalisation of the winter flight schedule, which is expected to be effective by the end of October.
Before securing its recent funding, more than half of SpiceJet’s fleet had been grounded. As of June 30, 2024, 36 out of 64 planes were not operational. Of the 28 planes deemed airworthy, only a few were regularly flying. The airline is now working quickly to change that. SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Ajay Singh recently said that the airline plans to have a fleet of 100 aircraft by the end of 2026.
