Mumbai, Nov. 2 -- SpiceJet is set to add up to eight wet-leased aircraft in the coming weeks as it seeks to strengthen capacity ahead of the winter travel season and move towards operating around 200 daily flights. Four Airbus A321 aircraft wet-leased from Air One Moldova have arrived and begun passenger services.
Four Boeing 737-800 aircraft from Smartwings are expected to join the fleet, according to people familiar with the development. SpiceJet recently retired its last three Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft, reducing its active fleet to eight, while also adding three Airbus A320s on wet lease from Cambodia-based Sky Angkor Airways.
The additions have taken the airline's active fleet to 15 aircraft, including the newly added A321s. They are part of SpiceJet's previously announced plan to induct 20 wet-leased aircraft to expand its network, increase flight frequencies and meet higher passenger demand during the peak travel season.
Wet leasing involves providing an aircraft along with crew, maintenance and insurance. Debojo Maharshi, chief business officer at SpiceJet, had earlier stated that the airline would induct 20 aircraft to strengthen operations during the winter and summer peak travel periods, with the additional capacity intended to improve stability and ease pressure on airfares.
The winter schedule runs from October 25, 2026, to March 27, 2027, when airlines are preparing for increased passenger traffic. The planned induction is expected to help SpiceJet expand its network and offer more travel options during periods of heightened demand. The airline continues to operate from Terminal 1 at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and has not announced plans to shift operations to Navi Mumbai International Airport, unlike IndiGo, Akasa Air and Air India Express.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.