Scenes of chaos unfolded at Mumbai Airport Terminal 1 after multiple SpiceJet flights were delayed or cancelled, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded overnight and sparking protests inside the terminal.
Tension escalated on Wednesday night when SpiceJet flight SG 631 from Mumbai to Delhi was first delayed by nearly four hours and later cancelled. The sudden disruption led to angry scenes, with passengers raising slogans against the airline and demanding answers. Flights to key destinations including Bengaluru, Delhi and Ahmedabad were affected, adding to the growing frustration among travellers waiting at the airport.
Sleepless Night For Hundreds Of Travellers
A large number of passengers were forced to spend the night at the airport due to prolonged delays and last-minute cancellations. What was meant to be a routine journey turned into a gruelling ordeal, with many travellers left without clarity on departure timings or alternative arrangements.
According to a report in The Times Of India, among the worst affected was a late-night Mumbai-Bengaluru flight that departed nearly nine hours behind schedule. A red-eye service scheduled for 1:55 am saw passengers arriving around midnight, only to face repeated delays before eventual departure later in the morning.
Similarly, a Mumbai-Delhi flight scheduled at 11:15 pm was delayed for hours before being cancelled, while a daytime Mumbai-Gorakhpur service was also scrapped. A Mumbai-Ahmedabad flight experienced a delay of around three hours before finally taking off.
Social Media Flooded With Complaints
Frustrated passengers share their experiences in social media. One traveller posted about waiting at the airport since midnight as the flight continued to be pushed back, while others described arguments breaking out between stranded passengers and airline staff.
Another passenger reported that after her flight was cancelled following hours of delay, she had to spend around Rs 15,000 to book an alternative ticket, alleging lack of support and communication from the airline.
Technical Issues, Operational Factors Behind Disruptions
According to airline ground staff, the delays were initially attributed to technical issues, though passengers remained unconvinced as disruptions continued through the night.
In an official statement, SpiceJet clarified that three departures from Mumbai: SG 631 (Mumbai-Delhi), SG 553 (Mumbai-Gorakhpur) and SG 669 (Mumbai-Bengaluru), were cancelled on April 29 due to operational reasons. These included the grounding of an aircraft and adverse weather conditions at Bagdogra, the previous station of the operating aircraft, which also resulted in Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) constraints for crew members.
Additionally, two Mumbai-Ahmedabad flights were delayed due to unfavourable weather conditions at their previous stations, Varanasi and Bagdogra, and eventually departed after delays.
As tempers flared, personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force intervened to manage the situation and restore order at the airport. While the immediate unrest was brought under control, the inconvenience caused to passengers remained significant.
Airline Announces Additional Flights
SpiceJet stated that it is operating additional flights to accommodate affected passengers and clear the backlog created by cancellations. The airline also expressed regret over the inconvenience caused and thanked passengers for their understanding.
By Thursday morning, airport operations had largely stabilised, with flights resuming and passenger movement returning to normal. However, the incident has once again raised concerns over airline reliability, passenger communication, and crisis management during disruptions.
