Yet, in a surprise turn, credit rating agency Acuité has upgraded SpiceJet’s bank facilities not once, but twice in just 30 days.
But why the sudden optimism—and does this mean SpiceJet is finally out of the woods?
Why did Acuité turn positive?
On 29 August 2025, Acuité Ratings upgraded SpiceJet’s long-term rating on certain bank guarantees and term loans from B+ (Stable) to BB- (Stable). At the same time, it improved the airline’s short-term rating from A4 to A4+. The move followed incremental disclosures on fleet revival, settlements with lessors, and equity infusions.
Less than a month later, on 26 September, Acuité went a step further. The long-term rating was raised again, from BB- to BB (Stable), while reaffirming the A4+ short-term rating. This time, the trigger was greater clarity on SpiceJet’s revival plan—anchored on 22 new leased aircraft, 11 ungrounded planes between October 2025 and March 2026, and a near-tripling of daily flights from 100 to 280.
Fueling confidence: settlements and infusions
This renewed confidence can be traced back to September 2024, when SpiceJet raised ₹3,000 crore through a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP), subscribed by investors including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Nomura, and Société Générale. The infusion was followed by a series of settlement agreements with creditors and lessors to whom SpiceJet owed money.
A significant turning point came with the settlement with Carlyle Aviation Partners, one of its largest lessors. SpiceJet restructured lease obligations worth $121.18 million (about ₹1,010 crore)—partly converting debt into equity and securing a cash credit line for aircraft maintenance.
The airline also settled return to service (RTS) costs, reducing its financial burden from grounded aircraft. It booked ₹83 crore in Q4FY25, ₹68 crore in Q1FY26, and a ₹65 crore settlement in March, totaling ₹216 crore in relief.
Another boost came in July when the Supreme Court dismissed appeals from Kalanithi Maran and KAL Airways, clearing a contingent liability of ₹1,323 crore. Meanwhile, a ₹294 crore fund infusion by Promoter Ajay Singh this March was another critical driver behind the initial rating upgrade.
Taken together, the QIP infusion and promoter funds helped the company reduce its negative net worth from ₹6,628 crore (FY24) to ₹2,984 crore in FY25. For a company that has long battled with lessors in courtrooms, these developments signal a significant shift toward liquidity stability. But, beyond this, SpiceJet’s financials have yet to show any improvement.
Fragile financials
SpiceJet’s Q1FY26 results underscored the fragility of its recovery. Total income fell 43% year-on-year to ₹1,191 crore, dragged down by weaker capacity deployment. Available seat kilometres (ASKM) declined 28% to 218 crore, while the load factor slipped to 86% from 91% a year ago. With only 21 flights in core operations, revenues inevitably shrank.
Profitability took an even steeper hit. Ebitda swung from a positive ₹401 crore in Q1FY25 to a loss of ₹18 crore in Q1FY26, while Ebitdar fell to ₹84 crore from ₹650 crore, showing weaker operational profitability. A closer look at unit economics shows the imbalance. Ebitdar means Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortization, and Rent costs.
Revenue per available seat kilometre (RASK) dropped by 20% year-on-year to ₹5.5, reflecting weaker pricing power. On the cost side, while operational cost per ASKM (CASK) improved by 8.5% to ₹5.5, the gains were offset by incremental expenses related to grounded and ungrounded aircraft.
Grounded aircraft CASK nearly doubled to ₹0.5, while ungrounding and other costs added another ₹0.50 per ASKM. As a result, total CASK increased to ₹6.6 from ₹6.3, pushing the airline deeper into loss territory. This eventually led SpiceJet to a loss of ₹238 crore, down from a ₹150 crore profit in Q1FY25.
The numbers confirm that while SpiceJet is steadily ungrounding planes and rebuilding capacity, the process comes at a near-term cost. The mismatch between falling revenues and elevated costs continued to keep profitability under pressure in Q1FY26, highlighting that the airline’s turnaround still depends heavily on how quickly it can deploy new aircraft and stabilize its operations.
Balance sheet turbulence
If operations look shaky, the balance sheet is even more daunting. Infusions and settlements have reduced negative net worth to ₹2,832 crore (FY25), but liabilities remain heavy.
Debt protection metrics, however, have shown improvement. Interest coverage improved to 3.38x in FY25 (from 1.71x in FY24), while debt service coverage rose to 1.8x (from 0.71x). But the total outside liabilities to net worth ratio, at -2.86x (1.7x in FY24), means that SpiceJet’s obligations to creditors are nearly three times higher than its already negative net worth.
The company’s liquidity position offers some breathing space. As of 30 June 2025, it reported a total cash balance of ₹483 crore, including ₹333 crore in free cash and ₹150 crore in restricted cash. However, these reserves are earmarked for lessor settlements, ungrounded aircraft, and new fleet induction—uses that could quickly deplete the available buffer.
What’s next?
The back-to-back upgrades underline progress in repairing SpiceJet’s fragile balance sheet—through QIP funds, promoter support, and settlements—while its revival plan leans on aggressive fleet additions.
But falling revenues, rising costs, and a still-negative net worth keep risks elevated. For now, the upgrades reflect early optimism in liquidity management. Whether this proves a lasting turnaround or just temporary relief depends on how effectively SpiceJet converts its fleet expansion into sustainable profitability.
For more such analysis, read Profit Pulse.
Madhvendra has over seven years of experience in equity markets and writes detailed research articles on listed Indian companies, sectoral trends, and macroeconomic developments.
The writer does not hold the stocks discussed in this article.
The purpose of this article is only to share interesting charts, data points, and thought-provoking opinions. It is NOT a recommendation. If you wish to consider an investment, you are strongly advised to consult your advisor. This article is strictly for educational purposes only.
