SpiceJet employees at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport have warned of an indefinite strike over delayed salary payments, in a fresh flashpoint for the cash-strapped carrier. The airline has denied that any strike took place and said airport operations were not disrupted.
The tension came to a head late on August 9, when some security personnel reportedly stopped work around 10 pm. According to sources cited in the coverage, they returned around 1 am on 10 August after senior officials assured them that pending salaries would be credited shortly.
Staff members told Moneycontrol that salary payments have been inconsistent since October 2025, with the equivalent of about three months’ pay still outstanding. Workers said the repeated delays have left them struggling to cover rent, EMIs and credit card bills.
Employees also raised concerns that go beyond pay. They alleged difficulty in leaving the company because of long notice periods and delays in receiving relieving letters, and flagged pending statutory benefits including provident fund and gratuity. For airport roles that involve documentation and background verification, delays in relieving formalities or final settlements can make it harder to move to another employer.
SpiceJet pushed back on several of these points. The airline dismissed reports of a flash strike as inaccurate and said flight and ground operations continued normally at Bengaluru on Sunday night. It said salary payments were being released in stages, with wages for junior and support employees already disbursed and payments for other staff being processed progressively.
On the exit terms, the airline disputed claims that junior employees must serve a six-month notice period. It said that requirement applies to senior management at the general manager level and above, and that the notice period for junior employees is generally between one and two months. The company added that requests for early release are being assessed case by case, and that waivers may be granted where considered appropriate.
