SpiceJet Ditches Troubled Boeing 737 MAX 8 Amid Financial Crisis

SpiceJet has quietly ended its operations of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, leaving India with just three airworthy aircraft. The airline's exit from the troubled aircraft type comes as it faces a severe financial and operational crisis, down to 11 active planes.

The cash-strapped carrier has de-registered all of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft under the Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisation (IDERA), paving the way for their removal from the fleet. The first aircraft to be ferried overseas is VT-MXD, currently parked in Delhi, followed by VT-MXE and VT-MXI.

The exit of the three MAX 8 planes leaves SpiceJet with just eight active aircraft. To compensate, the airline has inducted three Airbus A320s on wet lease from Cambodia-based Sky Angkor Airways, bringing its total active fleet to 11 as of Tuesday.