IndiGo on Tuesday issued a statement after a video of passengers sitting in complete darkness inside one of its aircraft at Vadodara Airport went viral on social media.
Nearly 160 passengers on IndiGo flight 6E 657, scheduled to depart Vadodara for Delhi at 8:40 pm, were left in the dark when the Ground Power Unit (GPU) supplying electricity to the parked aircraft suddenly malfunctioned.
A GPU is equipment that plugs into an aircraft at the gate, supplying electrical power for lights, avionics, and air conditioning when the engines are off.
The video, posted by the account @gharkekalesh on X, shows the cabin in near-total darkness, with passengers visibly restless and uncomfortable. Passengers were seen desperately fanning themselves with files, newspapers, and anything else within reach.
Power failure on IndiGo 6E 657 at Vadodara Airport: Passengers stuck without AC, lights or ventilation for ~30 mins on ground.
— Ghar Ke Kalesh (@gharkekalesh) May 18, 2026
Chaos inside! pic.twitter.com/6rrlXg2JhX
Some passengers alleged the aircraft doors remained shut throughout the delay, making conditions inside increasingly unbearable.
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In a statement, IndiGo said, "Flight 6E 657 operating from Vadodara to Delhi on 17 May, 2026 was delayed due to a technical snag. The issue was promptly resolved and the aircraft proceeded to its destination soon thereafter."
"Customers were kept informed throughout the delay and our teams did their best to minimise their discomfort," the airline added.
Airport officials said it took engineers 12 to 15 minutes to fix the GPU fault, and another 15 minutes to fully restore power inside the cabin. "During these 30 minutes, there was complete darkness in the cabin, and with the AC also not functioning, the passengers were sweating badly," an airport official told The Print.
The flight, originally scheduled to depart at 8:40 pm, finally took off at 10 pm, arriving in Delhi well behind schedule, reports said.
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