SpiceJet takes lease route to double fleet this winter

NEW DELHI: Currently flying 21 aircraft, SpiceJet is taking the damp lease route - hiring planes with crew - to ramp up operations. It will damp lease two wide-body Airbus A340s and at least 18 narrow body planes. It also hopes to unground 10 planes by next April.

The low-cost carrier - currently India's fourth largest by domestic market share after IndiGo, Air India Group and Akasa - aims to fly out of the financial turbulence. The A340s will begin flying on Bangkok route and then the airline plans to fly them to Europe.

SpiceJet chief business officer Debojo Maharshi said, "We will more than double our current operational fleet of 21 aircraft by mid-Nov 2025 and our daily flights will also more than double from current 125 to 275-300. We have already finalised damp lease agreements for 18 aircraft, which will start joining from Oct and stay with us through the peak winter season into early summer 2026."

"In addition, we are inducting two wide-body A340s on long-term damp lease, initially to be deployed on the Bangkok sector, while actively evaluating options to launch services to select European destinations. Discussions are also underway for another three narrow-body aircraft on damp lease, taking our planned additions to 21-23 aircraft in total," Maharshi said.