SpiceJet passengers could not check in for most of the airline's departures from Dubai International Airport on Thursday 12 November. The Indian low-cost carrier owed about AED 14 million (around INR 35.8 crore, roughly USD 3.8 million) in unpaid dues14. SpiceJet cancelled four flights to India that day13. Two earlier departures, SG 5115 to Ahmedabad and SG 5106 to Delhi, were still checked in because they were scheduled before the suspension took effect12.

What happened in Dubai

Dubai Airports warned SpiceJet on 9 November that its arrears had reached AED 14 million, Business Today reports1. The Hindustan Times, citing people aware of the matter, gives the same figure4. No payment had been received since 13 October. The airport operator said it would suspend check-in if the full balance was not paid14. The Hindustan Times reports that Dubai Airports cited repeated violations of payment terms in an email on 12 November4.

After the suspension, SpiceJet's Dubai station manager told flight operations to cancel further departures, according to internal emails reported by Informist12. The four flights to Amritsar, Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi were cancelled. An internal message blamed "non-payment to dnata", the ground handler at Dubai24. Live From A Lounge notes that this reference comes from an internal SpiceJet message, not from a public statement by dnata2. The message said the aircraft would fly back to India as ferry flights without passengers24. Reports differ on who stopped the check-in. Business Today and the Hindustan Times name the airport operator, Dubai Airports14. A report by the news agency IANS, based on NDTV Profit, says dnata suspended the service. It says the airline owes dnata more than AED 14 million and that the suspension was limited to 12 November3.

The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority summoned the station manager over how passengers had been informed, according to Informist12. The authority ordered SpiceJet to notify travellers of the cancellations and to arrange alternative flights, hotel rooms and transport for those stranded12. How many passengers were affected has not been published2.

A SpiceJet spokesperson said, in a statement quoted by The Week: "We are in the process of resolving the matter with the concerned authorities. We have adequate bank guarantee cover in place and are working to ensure that the issue is sorted out at the earliest."4 On Friday 13 November, Delhi Airport issued a passenger advisory about possible disruption to SpiceJet flights. It asked travellers to check their flight status with the airline3.

Not the first time in Dubai

In August 2024 SpiceJet ran into the same problem at Dubai. Over unpaid debts, dnata stopped passengers from boarding certain SpiceJet flights out of Dubai International. SpiceJet attributed the cancellations to operational reasons at the time13. On 28 August 2024 the Indian regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), placed the airline under enhanced surveillance after a special audit13. SpiceJet says it was later removed from that regime once the deficiencies had been rectified7.

An airline under financial strain

The Dubai suspension comes on top of months of disruption. In September SpiceJet carried about 73,000 domestic passengers, a market share of 0.6%, according to DGCA traffic data6. Mint reports, also from DGCA data, that SpiceJet cancelled 20.29% of its scheduled flights that month. Its on-time performance at major airports was 16.6%5. Mint puts the fleet at 12 aircraft, of which nine are flying. The other three remain grounded as the airline struggles to pay rent to lessors5. Business Today reports about 65 scheduled flights a day, with 15 to 20 cancellations1.

Suppliers are waiting too. SpiceJet's half-yearly report to the corporate affairs ministry shows INR 63.03 crore of INR 122.93 crore owed to micro, small and medium enterprises was unpaid for more than 45 days between April and September 2026, according to Mint5. SpiceJet has not published results since the quarter that ended on 31 December 20255. For that quarter it reported a standalone net loss after comprehensive income of INR 2,674.72 million. In their limited review report, its auditors flagged a material uncertainty about its ability to continue as a going concern. On 31 December 2025 current liabilities exceeded current assets by INR 42,139.31 million8. The same filing says certain aircraft and engine lessors had filed petitions before the National Company Law Tribunal and the Delhi High Court over alleged non-payment. SpiceJet says it settled most of these disputes in earlier periods8. In February the board approved a plan to grow to 60 aircraft by October to December 20269. Mint now counts 12 aircraft, nine of them flying5.

In a stock exchange filing on 5 October, SpiceJet confirmed that the DGCA is reviewing its broader operational and financial position. The airline said this should not be read as a new finding of safety deficiencies. It pointed to zero Level 1 findings in DGCA safety audits in 2025 and an IOSA registration valid until March 20277.

Pilots and pay

In June Reuters reported that SpiceJet had delayed salary payments to many of its pilots since March, based on internal messages and two pilots. The airline had 375 pilots in March. SpiceJet told Reuters that employee payments were being made in a phased manner10. In October around 40 pilots on the Q400 fleet refused to fly until their salary dues were cleared, PTI reported. The pilots' association ALPA India backed them in a letter dated 9 October12. A SpiceJet spokesperson said at the time that all pilots were operating as scheduled11. Mint quotes two employees as saying some salary dues have been outstanding for more than four months5. Business Today, citing reports, says employees have gone without salaries since June 20261.

For pilots, these delays fall on top of the usual pay structure, which is explained in our guide to airline pilot salary. What the SpiceJet pilot selection involves is on our SpiceJet airline page. For pilots weighing where to start, our answer on the first job after pilot training covers the options.