SpiceJet passenger gets stuck inside loo on Mumbai-Bengaluru flight for an hour

A passenger onboard a Mumbai-Bengaluru SpiceJet flight was stuck inside the toilet for an hour due to a malfunction in the door lock. The male passenger went to the loo after the seat belt sign went off following take off from Mumbai. He had to wait until the flight's landing in Bengaluru when an engineer opened the door.

SpiceJet said in a statement that the passenger was provided with assistance throughout the journey. The airline said that the passenger was also provided with immediate medical support upon landing. "On 16 January, a passenger unfortunately got stuck inside the lavatory for about an hour on SpiceJet flight operating from Mumbai to Bengaluru, while the aircraft was airborne due to a malfunction in the door lock," the airline said in a statement.

The airline further said, "Throughout the journey, our crew provided assistance and guidance to the passenger. Upon arrival, an engineer opened the lavatory door, and the passenger received immediate medical support. SpiceJet regrets and apologizes for the inconvenience caused to the passenger." The airline also said that the passenger who got stuck inside the toilet is being provided a full refund.

The crew also gave the passenger a note asking him not to panic. The crew assured the passenger to secure himself till the time the engineer comes. "Sir, we tried our best to open the door. However, we could not open. Do not panic, we are landing in a few minutes. So please close the commode lid and sit on it and secure yourself. As soon as the main door is open, the engineer will come. Do not panic," the note by the crew said.

The development comes a day after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) published a report suggesting that flight problems and refunds comprised a majority of the total 712 passenger-related complaints received by domestic airlines during December 2023.

Of these, 705 complaints have been addressed. 61.8 per cent were related to flight-related problems, 12.8 per cent were related to refund problems whereas 11.9 per cent were pertaining to baggage-related issues.
The report states that the maximum number of complaints were received by SpiceJet (422), followed by Air India (68) and IndiGo (65).

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