SpiceJet plans 100 new daily flights as IndiGo cuts winter schedule

SpiceJet is preparing to add up to 100 new daily flights during the current winter schedule. The move comes at a time when air travel demand is rising sharply and IndiGo has been forced to reduce its winter operations due to its ongoing disruptions.

SpiceJet said the decision is aimed at strengthening capacity on key routes and ensuring that passengers have enough travel options during the busy winter season.

“We plan to introduce up to 100 additional daily flights during the current winter schedule, subject to regulatory approvals,” the airline said in a statement.

The announcement followed the government’s decision to order a 10% cut in IndiGo’s winter schedule to help the crisis-hit airline stabilise after major disruptions that began on December 1.

Under the current winter schedule, SpiceJet has been permitted to operate 1,568 flights per week, roughly 224 flights per day. This is a 20.89% increase compared to the 1,297 weekly flights it operated last winter.

Compared to its summer schedule (1,240 flights per week), the airline has grown its operations by 26.45%.

SpiceJet has been steadily rebuilding its fleet strength. Over the past two months, it has added 17 aircraft back into active service. This includes planes brought in through short-term wet leases as well as its own aircraft returning to operations.

SpiceJet had 32 aircraft in active service as of December 9, up from just 18 aircraft on September 30. These include 28 Boeing 737s and 4 regional jets, while 36 aircraft remain grounded.

The airline said the improvement in fleet availability gives it the flexibility to deploy more capacity on high-demand routes and create a more reliable network.

SpiceJet added that its priority this season is to bring more aircraft into service, improve aircraft utilisation, and strengthen overall connectivity through better planning.

According to industry sources, the reduction in IndiGo’s schedule has created a shortfall of around 230 daily flights. To help fill this gap Air India too have proposed adding more services. If approved by regulators, the two airlines together could operate up to 170 additional daily flights, easing some of the pressure on India’s busy winter travel season.

With IndiGo struggling to stabilise operations, SpiceJet’s expansion is expected to ease some of the pressure in the domestic aviation market and help maintain adequate capacity during the peak winter travel period.