Over 200 passengers were made to wait inside a Singapore-bound IndiGo flight at Chennai airport for several hours on Tuesday before the aircraft finally departed. The unusually long wait of around five
hours—longer than the flight duration itself—after boarding sparked frustration, which was captured in a video that went viral.
In the clip, passengers can be seen and heard expressing anger at airline staff, claiming mistreatment and lack of clarity.
Indigo Issues Clarification
Later, IndiGo explained that the delay occurred because the pilot noticed that the cabin temperature was higher than normal and alerted the engineering team. Additionally, the cockpit crew had exceeded the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), necessitating the arrangement of a replacement crew, which caused further delays. “We had to arrange an alternate crew, which took time,” the airline said, according to a report in The Times of India.
The Singapore-bound flight (6E1025) was scheduled to depart at 7.30 am on Tuesday, with boarding beginning at 6.30 am. Passengers reported that the air conditioning repeatedly switched on and off, making the cabin uncomfortable, especially for infants, elderly passengers, and working professionals.
Flyers Claims Mismanagement By Airline Staff
“There was no clear explanation and no transparent communication. The cabin air conditioning repeatedly switched on and off. Infants, children, elderly passengers and working professionals were on board. Passengers who requested to deboard due to discomfort were not permitted to do so for a considerable period,” one passenger posted on social media, the report mentioned.
According to flyers, the pilot who had boarded the flight left in the middle of the chaos due to work-hour restrictions, and an alternate pilot took over at 11 am. The flight finally departed at 12 noon. IndiGo sources stated that passengers were kept informed throughout the delay and were provided with refreshments during the wait.
