An Indian airline, SpiceJet, is facing serious financial difficulties and is seeking emergency loans from the government to deal with its liquidity issues. According to news reports in Times of India, several months of salaries remain unpaid for pilots since March. In addition, SpiceJet has applied for a loan worth as much as ₹1,500 crore under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme provided by the government.

According to SpiceJet, external factors such as the current crisis in the Middle East have been contributing to its financial difficulties as well as higher prices for aviation fuel. SpiceJet also reported that they were experiencing delays in making payments to their pilots. However, according to SpiceJet, they are gradually making salary payments and most employees have already received their salaries for the month of March. Currently, SpiceJet employs 375 pilots.

The company has 375 pilots until March 2026. Two of these pilots told Reuters that their salaries have been delayed for several months. The news agency also checked the WhatsApp messages of SpiceJet employees, which include 180 employees, including pilots and cabin crew.

In 2019, SpiceJet was the country's second-largest airline with a 15% market share in India's aviation market. However, its market share has now fallen to just 3.4%, making it the country's fourth-largest airline. The airline's shares have also seen a massive 60% decline this year. SpiceJet shares have been facing continuous selling pressure since 2024 and have fallen from Rs 73 to Rs 12.