SpiceJet Dubai Check-ins Halted Over AED 14 Million Dues as Airline Seeks Fresh Funds

Unpaid bills disrupt Dubai departures

Dubai Airports stopped SpiceJet passenger check-ins on November 12, 2026, over outstanding dues of about AED 14 million, approximately ₹35.85 crore, forcing the cancellation of four passenger services to Amritsar, Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi. The disruption continued into November 13, when check-in counters were not allocated to the airline and no SpiceJet flight departed Dubai for India.

The airport operator's correspondence said it had received no payment since October 13. A warning issued on November 9 gave SpiceJet until November 12 to clear the outstanding amount before check-in services would be suspended. Internal airline messages cited non-payment to ground handling company dnata as the reason for the cancellations.

Only two of SpiceJet's six scheduled Dubai departures were allowed to carry passengers on November 12: SG-5115 to Ahmedabad and SG-5106 to Delhi. Both were delayed flights originally scheduled to leave before the suspension took effect.

The payment dispute has become an immediate problem for travellers, employees and suppliers. SpiceJet's domestic market share fell to 0.6% in September from 3.9% in January, while its board scheduled a November 18 meeting to consider raising fresh capital. The airline also faces a December 7 deadline to submit overdue financial results and avoid a suspension of share trading.

SpiceJet said it was working with authorities to resolve the Dubai issue. Its spokesperson also said the airline had adequate bank guarantee cover, a bank's promise to meet a covered payment obligation under agreed conditions.

A SpiceJet spokesperson said:

We are in the process of resolving the matter with the concerned authorities. We have adequate bank guarantee cover in place and are working to ensure that the issue is sorted out at the earliest.

How the Dubai shutdown unfolded

Dubai Airports, which operates Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport, cited continued failure to meet payment terms and the need to avoid further financial exposure. The affected SpiceJet departures were from Dubai International.

The airline's Dubai station manager instructed its flight operations team to cancel departures other than the two flights cleared for check-in. Those instructions linked any further departures to resolution of the payment dispute.

• October 13: The last payment date identified in the airport operator's correspondence.
• November 9: Dubai Airports warned that check-in services would stop from November 12 unless the outstanding amount was cleared.
• November 12: Two delayed flights received check-in clearance, while four passenger services were cancelled.
• November 13: No SpiceJet departure from Dubai to India operated, and Delhi airport issued a separate warning about possible disruption.
• November 18: SpiceJet's board was scheduled to consider a fresh capital raising proposal.

The initial check-in restriction was described as applying on November 12, while subsequent accounts recorded the absence of counters and departures on November 13. SpiceJet gave no confirmed date for restoring its Dubai passenger services.

Cancelled passenger flights and empty aircraft

SpiceJet's internal communication directed that the four cancelled services be rescheduled as ferry flights under the same flight numbers. A ferry flight moves an aircraft without carrying ordinary passengers, allowing the airline to reposition the plane even though customers cannot travel on it.

Accounts of those aircraft movements conflict: the planes were described as having returned to India without passengers, while another account said the planned ferry services were grounded. The four passenger cancellations were consistently identified as affecting Amritsar, Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi.

Until November 11, SpiceJet's Dubai programme comprised one daily departure each to Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Amritsar, plus two to Delhi. Four cancellations therefore removed two-thirds of its scheduled passenger departures from Dubai on November 12.

Dubai was identified as SpiceJet's only remaining international destination. Its schedule there had fallen from about 75 flights a week a few months earlier to six daily services, equivalent to 42 a week, a reduction of roughly 44% before the check-in stoppage.

Authorities demand help for stranded travellers

The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority summoned SpiceJet's station manager over the airline's failure to notify passengers promptly about the cancellations. Internal correspondence said the authority directed SpiceJet to inform affected travellers and arrange alternative flights, hotel accommodation and transport.

Passengers therefore needed more than an announcement that a flight had been cancelled. They needed confirmed onward travel or somewhere to stay while waiting. The authority's instructions addressed both the interrupted journey and the immediate needs of people stranded at the airport.

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport issued a passenger advisory at 10:05 a.m. on November 13, asking travellers to contact SpiceJet directly for updates on flight status and travel plans. The airport did not specify how many services might be affected.

Delhi airport also said its terminal operations team had served refreshments to passengers during the disruption. Passenger complaints from earlier in November described cancellations discovered at the airport and difficulties receiving timely notices and refunds.

A smaller airline with frequent cancellations

Directorate General of Civil Aviation figures put SpiceJet's September cancellation rate at 20.29%, or about one in five scheduled flights. Its on-time performance at major airports was 16.6%, meaning roughly one in six measured flights operated on time.

SpiceJet carried around 73,000 domestic passengers in September, down from nearly 592,000 in January, a fall of about 88%. Its market share dropped by 3.3 percentage points over the same period. Nearly 36,000 passengers faced delays exceeding two hours, while more than 21,000 intended passengers had their flights cancelled.

By November, the airline was scheduling around 65 services a day and cancelling approximately 15 to 20, according to operational accounts. That works out to about 23% to 31% of the daily schedule. Some flights were called off after passengers had already waited three to five hours.

Fleet availability was also disputed. SpiceJet said it had 12 operational aircraft, while accounts of payment disputes with lessors put three of those aircraft on the ground, leaving nine available. Other fleet estimates used different totals, but consistently described a much reduced flying operation.

Payments before departure leave little room for error

SpiceJet's difficulties extend beyond Dubai. Airports and suppliers in India have required payment before providing essential services under arrangements commonly called cash and carry or pay as you fly.

Under this system, the airline must find money for a service before using it, rather than settling the bill later. A payment delay can therefore become a flight delay immediately, even when an aircraft is available and passengers are waiting.

The airline has faced unpaid obligations to aircraft and engine lessors, fuel suppliers, airport operators and ground handling companies. Airport charges include payments for navigation and landing services, with amounts varying according to factors such as aircraft weight and distance travelled.

Employee payments create another pressure point. Salaries were reportedly overdue for nearly four months, alongside unpaid provident fund and tax deducted from salaries. Four Delhi departures on September 19 were unable to take off after employees reportedly failed to report for duty over unpaid dues.

The Indian Association of Tour Operators also asked Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to intervene over repeated cancellations to Sri Vijayapuram, formerly Port Blair. For tourism businesses in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, interrupted air services affect visitors' arrival plans as well as hotel and tour bookings.

Suppliers, employees and court payments compete for cash

SpiceJet's filing with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs recorded ₹122.93 crore owed to micro, small and medium enterprises during April to September 2026. Of that amount, ₹63.03 crore remained unpaid beyond the stipulated 45 days, slightly more than half of the total recorded dues.

More than 85% of invoices from small suppliers were not cleared within the required period. The invoice percentage counts bills, while the rupee figures measure their value. Both show the strain reaching businesses that supply the airline.

A senior industry executive, speaking anonymously, estimated statutory dues at around ₹400 crore and employee dues at about ₹150 crore, excluding vendor payments. Those estimates place the Dubai bill within a wider set of competing demands for cash.

The Delhi High Court added another immediate financial pressure in October when it rejected a request by SpiceJet and managing director Ajay Singh for more time to deposit ₹144 crore in the dispute involving KAL Airways and its promoter, Kalanithi Maran. The court also rejected a proposal to submit documents for a Gurugram property instead of the deposit.

November fundraising and December filing deadlines

SpiceJet told BSE on November 13 that its board would meet on November 18 to consider raising fresh capital. The proposed routes included equity shares, preference shares, debt securities and other permitted instruments, including a qualified institutional placement.

Equity fundraising brings money into a company by selling ownership shares. Debt securities raise money that must be repaid. A qualified institutional placement allows a listed company to raise funds from eligible institutional investors.

Company sources said two investors were considering the airline, with proposed term sheets of up to ₹5,000 crore. A term sheet sets out proposed deal conditions. No completed investment, final fundraising amount or change in management had been announced.

BSE warned that trading in SpiceJet shares would be suspended from December 10 unless the company submitted outstanding financial statements to the exchange's satisfaction by December 7. The warning also covered freezing controlling shareholders' shares and other securities in their demat accounts during the suspension.

SpiceJet attributed the filing delay to an audit taking longer than expected and said it would publish results before December 7. The Registrar of Companies extended the deadline for its annual general meeting for the financial year ended March 2026 to December 31.

The airline last published quarterly results in February, reporting a consolidated net loss of ₹262 crore for October to December 2025 after a ₹621 crore loss in the preceding quarter. CareEdge Ratings downgraded its rating for long term bank facilities to B+ in April, citing continued losses and tight liquidity.

What affected passengers can request

India's 2019 Ministry of Civil Aviation Passenger Charter sets out protections covering cancellations, long delays, refunds and assistance. The remedy depends on when passengers were informed, the length and timing of the disruption, and the circumstances that caused it.

For cancellations notified at least two weeks before departure, airlines must offer an alternative flight or a refund acceptable to the passenger. Shorter notice can bring further obligations, including compensation in qualifying cases. The applicable monetary limits range from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000, depending on the flight category, subject to the relevant fare limit and conditions.

Passengers who check in on time may qualify for meals and refreshments during delays. For domestic flights expected to be delayed by more than six hours, the airline must offer an alternative flight within six hours or a full refund. Hotel accommodation and transfers apply to certain longer delays, including specified overnight departures.

Travellers can first raise a complaint with SpiceJet, then use the government's AirSewa portal or app if necessary. A statutory body or court is another route when a complaint remains unresolved. Compensation exemptions apply to qualifying extraordinary circumstances, including adverse weather, security risks and certain air traffic control restrictions.

For passengers stranded in Dubai, the immediate assistance ordered by the local aviation authority was specific: notification, alternative travel, accommodation and transport. Checking flight status directly with SpiceJet before travelling to the airport can help passengers respond to further schedule changes.

Key Points

• Dubai check-ins stopped on November 12 over about AED 14 million in outstanding dues.
• Four passenger departures were cancelled that day; no SpiceJet flight left Dubai for India on November 13.
• Dubai aviation authorities directed the airline to arrange alternative travel, hotels and transport.
• SpiceJet's September cancellation rate was 20.29%, and domestic market share fell to 0.6%.
• The board scheduled a November 18 meeting to consider fresh capital.
• December 7 is the deadline for financial filings needed to avoid a share trading suspension from December 10.
• SpiceJet said it was resolving the Dubai dispute but gave no confirmed restart date.