Bangladesh on Thursday (Jan 19) banned Indian budget carrier SpiceJet from using its airspace over unpaid dues, according to a report by industry news agency PTI, citing officials in the know. The Bangladesh government’s move has forced low-cost airline Spicejet to reroute some services from Kolkata and increase flight times on some domestic sectors.
The restriction, which PTI says is related to non-payment of navigation-related charges, has led SpiceJet to use longer routes on flights from Kolkata to destinations such as Guwahati, with flight tracking data showing planes avoiding Bangladeshi airspace on Thursday.
However, the airline said its operations remained unaffected and that it was working with authorities to resolve it.
Bangladesh blocks SpiceJet flights over outstanding dues, sources say
PTI, citing well-informed officials, said that Bangladesh had banned SpiceJet from using its airspace because the airline had not settled unpaid dues. The nature and amount of the fees could not be immediately confirmed.
An email sent to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) seeking comment did not receive an immediate response.
Longer routes for Kolkata flights as Bangladeshi airspace becomes unavailable
Due to the unavailability of Bangladeshi airspace, SpiceJet had to divert some flights from Kolkata, including flights to Guwahati.
Data from Flightradar24 on Thursday indicated that SpiceJet flights from Kolkata to Guwahati and Imphal were not using Bangladeshi airspace and were instead taking longer routes to reach their destinations.
SpiceJet responds: “routine industry issues” and dialogue with authorities
In a statement on Thursday, a SpiceJet spokesperson acknowledged negotiations with the authorities on navigation and operating charges, while downplaying the disruption.
“These are routine issues in the industry and we are working constructively to resolve them soon. Our flight operations remain unaffected and we continue to operate our scheduled services in accordance with regulatory requirements,” the spokesman said.
Market reaction: SpiceJet shares fall as financial pressure mounts
The development comes at a difficult time for the airline, which is already under financial pressure.
Shares of SpiceJet fell nearly 1 percent during afternoon trading on Thursday ₹16.81 on BSE.
Last week, the airline reported a loss of ₹269.27 crore ₹269.27 crore for the quarter ending December 2025, citing higher costs and one-off expenses that weighed on its bottom line.
Why airspace restrictions are important to airlines
Access to airspace is critical to airline operations, with carriers required to pay navigation charges for the use of certain routes. When access is denied, airlines are typically forced to fly longer routes, which can increase fuel consumption, flight time and operational complexity – especially on routes in India’s eastern and northeastern corridors.
For now, SpiceJet said it is working on an early solution as its planes continue to operate around Bangladeshi airspace.