Summer Rush Causes SpiceJet to Top the List as India’s Most Delayed Airline

Passengers flying with SpiceJet Ltd., a financially struggling airline, have been experiencing the highest number of flight disruptions in India, which happens to be the world’s fastest-growing aviation market. As the busy summer travel season approaches, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation reported that only 61% of SpiceJet’s flights departed on time from the country’s major airports – Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad – in May. This figure represents a decline from the already low rate of nearly 70% recorded in April.

While SpiceJet operates around 250 flights per day, it is not the only airline facing these challenges. Air India Ltd., the country’s second-largest carrier, slipped to the fifth position in terms of punctuality rankings, experiencing almost twice as many flight delays in May compared to the previous month. Akasa Air, which launched less than a year ago, initially held the top spot for on-time performance but also saw a decline in its punctuality.

These frequent delays highlight the difficulties faced by India’s highly competitive aviation market in the post-pandemic era. As travel demand surged during the school holidays in May and June, airlines struggled to keep up. Additionally, the discontinuation of ticket sales by the insolvent Go Airlines India Ltd. in May led to higher-than-normal demand on certain routes, further straining the country’s flight networks.

Soaring demand

In May, domestic passenger traffic experienced a significant 15% increase, reaching 13.2 million compared to the previous month. However, airlines are currently facing challenges due to shortages of both workers and planes, as they were largely affected by the pandemic. Compounding the situation is a global problem with Pratt & Whitney engines, which has resulted in the grounding of numerous planes that typically serve the Indian market.

Chairman of Starair Consulting, Harsh Vardhan, stated, “Airlines are under tremendous pressure to expand their services. The sudden resurgence in traffic has caught them off guard. However, airlines are still in the process of streamlining their operations.”

Unfavorable weather conditions worsen the airlines’ difficulties, and frustrated passengers flood social media platforms with complaints.

New Flights

In late June, Jaipur stranded approximately 350 Air India passengers who were traveling from London to New Delhi for several hours. The airline’s pilot exceeded the maximum allowable work hours while awaiting improved weather conditions in the Indian capital. Likewise, a SpiceJet flight from Pune to Dubai departed with a delay of 10 hours, causing inconvenience for passengers. In another incident, an AirAsia India flight delay caused a school teacher in Bengaluru to miss her uncle’s funeral.

Alongside the challenges of punctuality, SpiceJet is also grappling with financial issues. The airline has been operating at a loss for the past four years, accumulating a total loss of $40 billion during that period. The release of its latest fiscal year results has been delayed, and by the end of May, more than two dozen aircraft belonging to the budget carrier were grounded, resulting in a decline in its market share from 7.3% to 5.4% since the beginning of the year.

A spokesperson from SpiceJet stated, “We are working diligently to enhance our performance in all areas, including on-time performance.”

Hiring surge

Flight delays in India are not uniformly problematic as compared to other major aviation markets. FlightAware’s data indicates that flight departures experienced a mere 15% delay rate from January to June 20, which is considerably lower than the UK’s 30% and the US’s 20%.

Encouragingly, there are signs of progress as airlines increase their workforce and expand their capacity. IndiGo, the leading airline in the market, recently made a groundbreaking order of 500 Airbus SE jets in June and plans to hire 5,000 employees in fiscal year 2024. Air India is also gearing up for fleet expansion, having ordered 470 Airbus and Boeing Co. jets, and will be recruiting over 4,200 cabin crew members and 900 pilots. Additionally, SpiceJet has leased 10 additional Boeing 737 jets, which it aims to introduce into its fleet by October.

Heat stroke

The fruits of these endeavors will require some time before becoming apparent. However, during this period, the challenges in the supply chain are aggravated by the summer season.

The sudden surge in demand often leads airlines to deploy additional aircraft, leaving fewer reserves in case of any unforeseen issues. Moreover, airplanes are prone to experiencing wear and tear due to the hot temperatures. Consequently, these factors contribute to last-minute flight delays that could have been avoided otherwise, explained Vardhan.

Vardhan emphasized that all these factors collectively contribute to the problem, causing a significant increase in last-minute flight delays.

According to Vardhan, there is optimism that the situation will improve in the following year.

Also, Read: Indian Aviation News 

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