More than 200 passengers travelling on an IndiGo flight from Chennai to Singapore were made to remain seated inside the aircraft for nearly five hours on Tuesday, a duration longer than the actual flying time for the route.
The incident triggered anger among passengers, with a video showing distressed travellers arguing with airline staff later circulating widely on social media.
The Singapore-bound flight, numbered 6E1025 and operated by IndiGo, was scheduled to depart from Chennai at 7.30 am. Boarding began around 6.30 am, and passengers took their seats expecting a routine departure. However, the aircraft did not take off as planned, and passengers remained inside the cabin until around 12 noon, when the flight finally departed.
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In a video clip that was shared online, several passengers can be heard complaining that the air conditioning inside the cabin was repeatedly switching on and off, causing discomfort.
According to the news report, some passengers alleged that they felt suffocated during the wait. The video also captured claims that airline staff threatened to call CISF personnel when passengers questioned the delay and demanded clear answers.
TOI reported that one passenger, in a social media post, said there was no proper communication from the airline about the reason for the long delay.
According to the post, the cabin environment became increasingly uncomfortable, especially for infants, children, elderly passengers and working professionals onboard. The passenger also claimed that those who requested permission to deboard the aircraft due to discomfort were not allowed to do so for a long period.
Passengers further stated that the pilot who initially boarded the flight left midway through the delay, citing duty hour restrictions. They claimed that a replacement pilot arrived around 11 am, after which the flight was eventually cleared for departure and took off at about 12 noon, reported TOI.
In response to the incident, IndiGo issued an official statement explaining the sequence of events.
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Meanwhile, in a statement, the airline said, "IndiGo flight 6E 1025 operating from Chennai to Singapore on 24 February 2026 had returned to bay due to a minor technical snag. While necessary checks and maintenance were being carried out on the aircraft, the cockpit crew exceeded their flight duty time limitations, necessitating the change of crew and further delaying the flight."
"We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers and did our best to minimise it by offering refreshments and sharing timely update. At IndiGo, the safety of our customers and crew is our top priority."
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