Travel plans of hundreds of SpiceJet flyers went haywire due to inordinate delays and cancellations on Wednesday.

The airline said it was forced to cancel three flights from Mumbai to Bengaluru, Delhi and Gorakhpur due to operational reasons, while two others departed after long delays.

A SpiceJet spokesperson said three flights were cancelled from Mumbai due to operational reasons, including the grounding of an aircraft and network delays caused by adverse weather at Bagdogra. Two other flights from Mumbai to Ahmedabad were also impacted by weather conditions at Varanasi and Bagdogra. This resulted in delayed aircraft arrival into Mumbai and led to subsequent delays.

Sources, however, pointed out that Thursday’s disruption was not a solitary episode and for the past month SpiceJet flights from Mumbai have faced delays.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation March statistics, SpiceJet’s on-time performance at Mumbai was 29 per cent. The airline’s overall punctuality was 43 per cent - the lowest among major airlines - and it had the highest number of flights delayed by two hours or more.

A source said the airline has delayed payments to the airport operator due to a cash crunch. “Staff salaries have also been delayed and frontline staff face angry passengers on almost a daily basis,” a source said.

SpiceJet said flights in Mumbai were not impacted by any payment-related issues, and there were no restrictions on its departures. 

On Wednesday, passengers vented their ire on social media and at counter staff, with no explanation offered for flight delays. Central Industrial Security Force personnel had to intervene to pacify agitated passengers.

Published on April 30, 2026