SpiceJet is the most delayed Indian airline as summer rush hits

Passengers on cash-strapped SpiceJet Ltd. are experiencing the most flight disruptions in India, the world’s fastest-growing aviation market. With the busy summer travel season arriving, only 61% of SpiceJet’s flights departed on time from the country’s four biggest airports — Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad — in May, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. That’s down from the already trailing figure of nearly 70% in April, the agency’s data showed.

SpiceJet, which is operating about 250 flights a day, isn’t alone. Air India Ltd., the nation’s second-largest carrier, slid to fifth from second in the punctuality ranks, with almost twice as many flight delays in May as a month earlier. Akasa Air, launched less than a year ago, was the most on-time, though its performance also slipped.

Frequent delays underscore the challenges of the post-pandemic boom in India’s intensely competitive aviation market. Travel surges during the school holidays in May and June, and carriers struggled to keep pace. Demand for some routes was higher than normal after the insolvent Go Airlines India Ltd. stopped selling tickets in May, placing a greater burden on the country’s flight networks.