SpiceJet staff, passengers get into verbal fight over flight delay at Delhi airport

After a two-hour delay at Delhi airport, passengers and crew on a SpiceJet flight destined for Patna got into a heated altercation. The flight was delayed owing to an operational issue.

According to a passenger on the Delhi-Patna aircraft (8721), the scheduled departure time was 7.20 a.m. from Terminal 3 of the airport, but the flight finally took off at around 10.10 a.m.

As per the passenger, the airline staff initially stated that the aircraft was delayed due to inclement weather but then cited technical concerns as the cause of the delay.

Many people were furious and engaged in heated discussions with airline personnel at the airport due to the delayed departure.

The incident came just days after a SpiceJet flight to Ahmedabad was cancelled following a five-hour delay, leaving passengers disappointed because the airline allegedly did not provide an official statement about the delay.

“SpiceJet flight from Pune to Ahmedabad scheduled to take off at 14.30 yet to take off. The initial delay has been compounded by malfunctioning AC (at 4.22 pm). Finally cancelled. I am returning home after enjoying time at Pune airport for 8 hours,” a flyer has tweeted.

Last month, Absar Alam, the accused passenger on the Delhi-Hyderabad SpiceJet flight who misbehaved with a female crew member onboard, was detained following a report from a SpiceJet security official.

According to the Delhi Police, a charge under Section 354A has also been filed against the passenger.

The Union Civil Aviation Ministry previously reported 546 technical hiccups in various airlines last year, with IndiGo Airlines topping the list with 215 such occurrences. SpiceJet reported 143 technical issues, while Vistara recorded 97.

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