Around 200 SpiceJet passengers protest at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport after two Dubai-bound flights were repeatedly rescheduled and delayed since Monday. The affected flights were SG 5111 and SG 5105, both operating from Delhi to Dubai.
The protests took place at Terminal 3 of the Delhi airport. PTI, citing a source, reported that passengers began protesting at various points inside Terminal 3 late Monday evening. Flight SG 5111 was originally scheduled to depart Delhi at 7:45 am on Monday, September 14, but was subsequently pushed to Monday evening and then to 9 am on Tuesday. The report stated that SG 5111 had still not departed at the time of reporting while flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed its status as "cancelled."
The second flight, SG 5105, was scheduled to depart from Delhi for Dubai at 6:45 pm on Monday, but its departure was subsequently delayed to Tuesday.
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The protests began at various points inside Terminal 3 from late Monday evening, while airport officials took up the matter with SpiceJet executives, PTI reported. Reports said that the passengers were seeking clarity over their departure times and assistance after being left waiting for prolonged periods at the airport. India Today reported that some passengers also demanded food and accommodation during the disruption.
SpiceJet attributed the disruption to operational reasons following the grounding of an aircraft, according to a statement issued by an airline spokesperson cited by PTI. The airline did not publicly identify the particular aircraft or provide a more technical explanation.
SpiceJet apologised for the inconvenience caused to the passengers according to the airline's statement quoted by the Times of India. The airline stated that it was arranging alternative flights for the affected passengers. It also said that it was making efforts to minimise the inconvenience caused by the disruption.
The latest disruption comes as SpiceJet faces wider financial and operational challenges. PTI has reported that the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are closely monitoring the airline's financial and operational situation.
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