NEW DELHI– A SpiceJet flight from Kandla, Gujarat, to Mumbai landed safely on Thursday after losing an outer wheel during take-off, the airline confirmed.
The Q400 aircraft continued its journey despite the incident, with the detached wheel discovered on the runway after departure. “On September 12, an outer wheel of a SpiceJet Q400 aircraft operating from Kandla to Mumbai was found at the runway after take-off. The aircraft continued its journey to Mumbai and landed safely,” a company spokesperson said. The plane taxied to the terminal under its own power, and all passengers disembarked without issue.
The wheel incident came just a day after another SpiceJet flight, bound for Kathmandu, faced a suspected tailpipe fire at Delhi airport. That aircraft, a Boeing 737-8, returned to the bay as a precautionary measure following reports from another plane on the ground. Although no cockpit warnings were triggered, the pilots opted to return. Officials later confirmed the aircraft was safe to resume operations after checks.
The operational setbacks underscore ongoing challenges for the low-cost carrier, which reported a steep quarterly loss earlier this year. SpiceJet posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 234 crore in the April–June quarter of FY26, compared with a net profit of Rs 158 crore a year earlier. Revenues fell 34.4 percent year-on-year to Rs 1,120 crore, driven by the impact of grounded aircraft, rising restoration costs, and weakened leisure travel demand due to regional geopolitical tensions.
Industry analysts say the incidents highlight pressure on SpiceJet’s operational reliability at a time when financial strain has already eroded investor confidence. The airline has been working to restore grounded planes and stabilize operations, but costs remain elevated as competition intensifies in India’s aviation sector. (Source: IANS)
