Foreign crews and leased aircraft keep SpiceJet flying high.
While the Indian aviation industry faces a turbulent period marked by mass flight cancellations, one airline seems to be navigating the storm with surprising ease. SpiceJet has managed to sidestep the major disruptions currently plaguing its competitors, particularly due to its reliance on a specific operational model known as "wet leasing."
The core of the current crisis lies in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) strictly enforced Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). These new norms, fully implemented on November 1, mandate increased rest periods for pilots to combat fatigue. However, SpiceJet has a unique advantage: approximately half of its active fleet consists of wet-leased aircraft.
Under a wet lease agreement, the lessor provides the aircraft along with the crew, maintenance, and insurance. Crucially, these planes are operated by foreign pilots who fall under the jurisdiction of their home countries' aviation regulations, not the tighter Indian FDTL mandates. This legal distinction has acted as a shield for SpiceJet, protecting it from the roster chaos that has forced market leader IndiGo to cancel nearly 3,500 flights since the beginning of December.
Industry insiders note that while other carriers are scrambling to hire more pilots and restructure schedules to meet the new 48-hour weekly rest requirement (up from 36 hours), SpiceJet’s operations remain largely unaffected. Out of the 34 aircraft currently in SpiceJet's fleet, 15 operate under this wet-lease structure.
Taking advantage of this stability, SpiceJet has actually expanded its services. Following the regulator's intervention to cap surging airfares, the airline announced the addition of 22 new flights on major routes including Delhi-Kolkata and Delhi-Mumbai on December 7.
The DGCA’s new rules are intended to bring Indian aviation safety standards on par with global best practices by focusing on pilot health and fatigue management. However, for now, SpiceJet’s mixed fleet strategy has allowed it to maintain schedule reliability while others face significant headwinds.
