Flying SpiceJet to Dubai? 24-hour delay leaves passengers stranded, protesting at Delhi airport

Scenes turned chaotic at Delhi airport after two Dubai-bound SpiceJet flights were delayed by more than 24 hours, leaving stranded passengers angry and exhausted as they staged protests and raised slogans of 'SpiceJet chor hai' and 'SpiceJet haye haye'. The delays affected flights SG 5111 and SG 5105, and by the time of reporting, neither flight had taken off.

According to the airline, both flights were delayed due to operational reasons following the grounding of an aircraft. SpiceJet said alternate flights were being arranged for affected passengers and apologised for the inconvenience, but passengers remained at the airport through Monday and Tuesday, demanding clarity on departure time, food and accommodation.

Delhi airport chaos after Dubai-bound SpiceJet flights delayed

Flight SG 5111 was scheduled to depart on Monday at 7:45 am, but was first rescheduled to 9 am on Tuesday. Flight SG 5105, which was scheduled to depart at 6:45 pm on Monday, was rescheduled to 12:30 pm on Tuesday. However, both flights had still not departed at the time of reporting.

Sources said passengers of both flights remained stranded at the airport and staged sit-in protests on Monday and again on Tuesday. Around 200 SpiceJet passengers protested at various places at Terminal 3 since late Monday evening, according to a source. Airport officials have also taken up the matter with SpiceJet executives, the source said.

Passengers stage sit-in, seek food, accommodation and answers

Sources said no SpiceJet staff were present to address passengers' concerns for a considerable period. Later, airport staff stepped in, provided food and water, and arranged an area for passengers to rest.

Videos from the airport showed angry passengers staging a sit-in, demanding accommodation and questioning the absence of SpiceJet staff. “SpiceJet staff are not facing us,” one passenger said.

In another video, a passenger recording the situation confronted an airport official after being told that recording was not allowed. The official lost his cool during the exchange, further irritating passengers who were already frustrated by the prolonged delay.

“You take the exit or refund. Nobody will go by flight. Please don't record video here. It is not allowed. You don't have the right,” the official was heard saying in the video.

The passenger questioned the official's behaviour, saying, “I was listening to you but you are yelling at me. This is totally unprofessional. No SpiceJet staff is available to answer our queries. We have spent lots of money on our flights.”

What SpiceJet said on the delay

In a statement, SpiceJet said both flights were delayed due to operational reasons following the grounding of an aircraft. The airline apologised for the disruption, saying it “deeply regretted the inconvenience caused to the passengers”.

“SpiceJet flights SG 5111 and SG 5105, operating from Delhi to Dubai, have been delayed due to operational reasons following the grounding of an aircraft. Alternate flights are being arranged to accommodate the affected passengers, and the airline is making every effort to minimise the inconvenience caused,” an airline spokesperson said.

In recent times, SpiceJet has been facing multiple headwinds. Last week, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu told PTI that the civil aviation ministry and regulator DGCA were closely watching the financials and operations of SpiceJet. For now, the two delayed Delhi-Dubai flights remain grounded, passengers continue to wait for clarity, and the story will be further updated as and when the flights take off.

(With inputs from PTI)