Around 40 SpiceJet pilots who operate the airline’s Q400 aircraft have refused to fly until pending salary dues are cleared, according to sources cited by the Economic Times. The position has received support from the Airline Pilots’ Association of India, or ALPA India, as the budget carrier continues to face financial and operational difficulties.
The pilots’ decision concerns SpiceJet’s Q400 fleet, which is used for regional operations. The sources said the pilots recently declined to operate flights until their unpaid salaries were settled. Further details about the amount owed, the duration of the delay or the number of flights affected were not immediately available.
SpiceJet did not comment on the reported action when contacted for the report. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is keeping a close watch on the airline amid its continuing operational problems, according to the report.
ALPA India said in a letter dated October 9 that it stood firmly in solidarity with the affected pilots and would provide moral support along with logistical, professional and consultative assistance in pursuing what it described as a fair and constructive resolution. The letter was addressed to its members and the wider civil aviation community.
Without providing specific details, the pilots’ grouping said it had been informed that a group of Q400 pilots had taken a stand in defence of their legitimate rights, professional dignity and aviation safety standards. It said the pilots had reportedly been working under considerable stress and uncertainty because of persistent financial and operational challenges.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of a sharply reduced SpiceJet fleet. Information available on the aircraft-tracking website Planespotters.net showed that the airline had an operational fleet of 10 aircraft, including two Q400s, while 37 aircraft were parked. The figures indicate the limited scale at which the carrier was operating at the time of the report, although the tracking data does not establish the reason each aircraft was parked.
ALPA India also referred to reports that unpaid vendors had declined to provide some essential aircraft-related services. It linked those reports, along with delayed salaries and outstanding employee benefits, to an increasingly difficult working environment for airline employees. The association did not specify the vendors involved or identify the services that were allegedly withheld.
The reported refusal to fly places the Q400 pilots’ salary dispute within a broader operational and safety context. The pilots’ association said its support was connected not only to employment rights but also to the professional conditions under which flight crews work. SpiceJet’s response to the claims and the status of the pending salary payments were not available in the report.
