Nepal protests: Over 100 passengers stranded on SpiceJet Delhi-Kathmandu flight without AC. Watch video

Passengers on a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Kathmandu experienced significant inconvenience Thursday morning due to unexpected delays. The flight, SG41, was initially scheduled to depart at 8:10 AM; however, a technical glitch led to a delay, leaving passengers waiting on the aircraft without air conditioning for over an hour.

The aircraft briefly taxied on the runway but was returned to the parking bay, where the crew cited a "technical issue" as the reason for the delay. Passengers were subsequently asked to deboard and wait in a bus near the parking area.

The airline confirmed that the delay was due to a "technical issue" and stated that efforts were being made to resolve it. More than 100 passengers were affected by the disruption.

Watch the full video here

Here's what netizens said

Soon after the video of the incident went viral, social media users took the airline to task. 

"Every airline has suspended flights to Kathmandu—except SpiceJet. Why are they still clinging to hope instead of prioritizing passenger safety and clarity?" a user asked while tagging the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and SpiceJet. 

A second user commented: "SpiceJet's service seems to be deteriorating more and more with each passing day."

Another user wrote: "Delhi-Kathmandu SpiceJet flight (SG 41) passengers had to wait inside a non-AC plane because of a technical snag. This is beyond poor service  airlines must prioritize passenger safety and comfort (sic)!"

SpiceJet cancels flights to, from Kathmandu

This incident follows SpiceJet's recent announcement regarding the cancellation of flights to and from Kathmandu on September 10. This decision was made in response to ongoing unrest in Nepal, where clashes between protesters and police have resulted in casualties and injuries.

In a social media advisory, SpiceJet stated: "#TravelAdvisory: Due to the prevailing situation in Kathmandu, our flights To/From Kathmandu stand cancelled for 10th Sep'25. The information will be communicated to all the passengers via SMS/Email on their registered contact details. For re-bookings and refunds, please contact our 24/7 Helpline Numbers at 91 (0)124 4983410 / 91 (0)124 7101600 or refer link: https://changes.spicejet.com/index.html#/".

Nepal protests

The unrest in Kathmandu has been marked by protests against government corruption and a temporary social media ban, which led to violent clashes. As of Thursday, the protests resulted in at least 34 deaths around the Federal Parliament and other sites in Kathmandu, intensifying the situation.

Additionally, 1,338 people are receiving treatment in hospitals across Nepal, as per official data. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation as tensions continue to remain high.