Representative image. Photo: Photo by Kprateek88, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0/2.5/2.0/1.0
SpiceJet flight SG 939 from Delhi to Pune was cancelled after a delay of more than six hours, and affected passengers are now seeking a DGCA investigation into the incident.
The flight, originally scheduled for a 9:15 p.m. departure on July 27, kept over 180 passengers waiting at Indira Gandhi International Airport until roughly 3:30 a.m.
According to a SpiceJet spokesperson, a technical issue with the aircraft caused the initial delay, and the flight was cancelled once the problem could not be fixed.
Passengers alleged that airline staff gave them little information about the flight’s status during the final stretch of the delay, between 2 a.m. and 3:30 a.m.
Complaints also emerged about the lack of food and beverage arrangements for passengers during the hours-long wait at the terminal.
The prolonged delay sparked a tense standoff between stranded travellers and SpiceJet personnel, with passengers demanding a clear explanation.
SpiceJet said an additional flight was arranged for the affected passengers and acknowledged the inconvenience, even as travellers pushed for civil aviation ministry intervention.
Civil aviation rules in India require airlines to provide free meals and refreshments once a delay crosses a defined threshold, and to keep passengers truthfully informed about the cause of a delay and the revised departure time.
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport is India’s busiest airport, handling a high volume of daily domestic and international departures, which can compound the impact of any single flight’s delay or cancellation.
The DGCA has previously issued show-cause notices to Indian carriers over service lapses, including inadequate passenger communication and failure to provide mandated facilities during long delays.
SpiceJet is one of India’s major low-cost carriers, operating both domestic and select international routes out of hubs including Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.
Passengers have increasingly taken to social media to report flight delays and cancellations, often tagging the DGCA and the civil aviation ministry directly to seek faster redressal.
(Image: Photo by Kprateek88, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0/2.5/2.0/1.0)
