What was supposed to be like any other flight from Mumbai to Goa turned into a nearly six-hour ordeal for passengers onboard a SpiceJet flight after it was delayed. People have alleged that they were left without any clear updates on when their flight would depart, nor were they provided with food or refreshments during the long wait.
A passenger named Natasha Desai Lavande shared a detailed account of the experience on Instagram, claiming that the SpiceJet flight, which was scheduled to depart from Mumbai at noon, reached the runway only around 6 PM. She said that all the passengers spent nearly three hours waiting at the airport before boarding the aircraft.
Once inside, they spent another three hours waiting for the flight to take off. “6 HOURS.
ONE FLIGHT. ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY. Our SpiceJet SG815 Mumbai–Goa flight was scheduled to depart at 12 PM. Instead, we spent nearly 3 hours at the airport, followed by another 3 hours sitting inside the aircraft,” she wrote. “Every time we asked the crew what was happening, the only response was: ‘We don’t have ATC clearance. We don’t know the actual situation.’”
The woman further claimed that travellers repeatedly requested the captain to make an announcement to explain the situation, but no such announcement was made. She added, “No proper explanation. No snacks. No refreshments. Only water for almost 6 hours. And then, at around 5:30 PM, we watched the aircraft being fuelled, eventually reaching the runway around 6 PM.”
In the video, passengers were seen repeatedly asking the crew to either call the captain out of the cockpit or tell them why their flight was delayed. Someone also said that they left home at 9 AM and it was already 4 PM. A person also shared that the elderly and children were also exhausted by the wait.
The passenger also shared that the same aircraft had earlier arrived from Delhi, where passengers were reportedly kept onboard for nearly two hours without food. They allegedly had to insist on being allowed to leave the aircraft to get something to eat. She added that when they asked about refreshments during the Mumbai delay, they were told: “the airline was ‘not obliged’ to provide them.”
While the woman acknowledged that delays can happen due to unforeseen circumstances, it was the lack of proper communication that left them frustrated. “Delays happen. Keeping passengers uninformed and treating them without basic consideration is not acceptable,” she wrote. “Sharing this video because passengers deserve communication, transparency and accountability. @spicejet – this is not how passengers should be treated.”
Ministry Of Civil Aviation Responds
The incident caught the attention of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which responded to the ordeal faced by the SpiceJet passengers, saying, “Dear Madam, the inconvenience caused is deeply regretted. Please share your Airline name, PNR number, full name, and phone number via direct message for resolving the issue.”
“Worst Airline, Never Book Them”
Meanwhile, it has once again left people frustrated, with some even pointing out that the airline cannot force people to stay inside the aircraft, while others sympathised with the crew, saying that the delay is not something they can handle.
“Under DGCA, you can leave the aircraft if u want to; the airline can’t make u wait in the aircraft, nobody from the passengers. Google this, ask ChatGPT,” said a user.
“Dude, what will crew members do? Crew themselves are facing all sorts of problems with this airline,” pointed out a person.
“Been through such an experience once: SpiceJet Pune to Delhi flight ….pathetic airlines….Hope you reached safely,” shared an individual.
“Horrible…. Worst airline, never book them,” someone else commented.
This incident came just days after a SpiceJet flight between Delhi and Pune turned chaotic and uncomfortable for passengers after the cabin became extremely hot before take-off, with some even facing breathing difficulties.
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