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A SpiceJet aircraft takes off from the international airport in Mumbai. The cash-strapped Indian airline has cancelled nearly 1,900 flights across the country this month. Image Credit: AFP

New Delhi: India’s cash-strapped SpiceJet airline, which announced the cancellation of nearly 1900 of its domestic flights last week, sought “urgent relief” from the government on Monday as its financial woes mounted.

The airline asked for the government’s financial help to ensure it is able to run its everyday operations smoothly.

SpiceJet officials met Mahesh Sharma, India’s junior civil aviation minister on Monday and “made the plea for urgent relief”, a report in Press Trust of India news agency said on Monday.

Sharma confirmed the meeting and said no decision had yet been taken on the private airline’s request, which would be put to the prime minister’s office and the ministries of finance and petroleum.

“No assurance has been given to them,” the minister added, according to the report.

The no-frills airline, SpiceJet, is India’s second-largest carrier by passenger share.

Even with as many as 3.3 billion passengers expected to take to India’s skies by the end of 2014, according to the International Air Transport Association, the company — which has a fleet of 37 — is struggling to stay afloat.

SpiceJet’s shares are down some 80 per cent from the 2007 peak.

Earlier this year SpiceJet reported fifth straight quarter of net losses for July-September.

The losses in the latest quarter shrank by 45 per cent year-on-year to 3.1 billion rupees ($50.1 million) as the airline cut fares to fill more seats.

In India’s overcrowded airline market, where fare competition is fierce and operating costs are high, all but one of its big four carriers are operating in the red.