A SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Pune was stopped before take-off after passengers complained of extreme heat inside the cabin, with some describing the conditions as being similar to a “gas chamber”, according to media reports.
The incident involved SpiceJet flight SG 105, which was scheduled to depart from Terminal 1 of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport at 9:45 pm. However, the flight was delayed until 10:30 pm as the situation inside the aircraft reportedly worsened.
"We felt suffocated, but thought the AC will start soon, and the temperature will settle down. We were drenched in sweat. There were 150 passengers on the flight and no AC or ventilation," a passenger told NDTV.
Passengers alleged that the cabin became unbearably hot after boarding. With children and elderly people among those onboard, some passengers reportedly struggled to breathe as the temperature inside the aircraft continued to rise.
According to a passenger quoted in media reports, travellers were initially asked to maintain decorum. Following repeated complaints about the heat, the cabin crew allegedly switched on blowers. However, the passenger claimed this made the situation worse, describing the cabin as turning into a “gas chamber”.
Videos of the incident were shared on X by a user who claimed that the cabin temperature began rising sharply soon after passengers boarded the aircraft at Delhi airport. The visuals showed several passengers sweating and using in-flight magazines to fan themselves in an attempt to cope with the heat.
हे दिल्लीहून पुण्याला जाणारे स्पाइसजेटचे विमान होते. विमानामध्ये आबालवृद्धांसह लहान मुलं देखील होती. या विमानात बसल्यानंतर विमानातील तापमान अचानक प्रचंड वाढलं. तापमान एवढं वाढत गेलं की लोकांना सहन होईना. सगळे घामाने ओले झाले होते. लोकांना श्वास घ्यायला खूप जास्त त्रास व्हायला… pic.twitter.com/jVYTEMcFNv
— Leshpal_speaks (@Leshpal_speaks) August 11, 2026
The situation eventually escalated into a confrontation between passengers and the flight crew. According to reports, the captain and crew members shouted back at passengers and allegedly threatened to call the police.
As frustration mounted, passengers staged a sit-in protest on the airport tarmac. Some passengers were heard chanting, “SpiceJet bandh karo, humari jaan se khelna bandh karo” (Shut down SpiceJet, stop playing with our lives).
The protests ultimately led to the flight being stopped before take-off.
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Several videos of the incident were subsequently circulated on social media, with users criticising SpiceJet over what they described as poor service and raising concerns about passenger safety.
According to India Today, a spokesperson for the airline said, "On August 11, SpiceJet flight SG 105, scheduled to operate from Delhi to Pune, encountered a last-minute technical issue. An alternate aircraft was arranged, and the flight subsequently operated to Pune."
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