Passengers complain of lack of info and facilities as Dubai flight delayed by 10 hrs
According to officials, flight SG-13 was scheduled for departure at 1.50 am on July 13 but was grounded by what the airline afterwards described as a 'last-minute' technical problem.
'The aircraft was being serviced and the operation took longer than expected, with the operating crew crossing their Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL),' a SpiceJet spokesperson said, rendering an apology from the airlines for the inconvenience.
A fresh team of crew was organised by morning, and the flight landed safely in Dubai later in the day.
Several passengers complained about how the delay was managed, while some of them turned to social media to complain. 'We were left waiting for hours with the information of a delay of just few minutes. Nobody gave us any clear explanation, and the crew just kept on telling us to wait,' one passenger posted on X. 'They did not even make an announcement. It was like we were totally forgotten, until we decided to stage a protest.'
Videos posted online depict groups of visibly agitated passengers at the terminal, some chanting slogans and seeking explanation from the airline. The protest continued for a few hours, prompting the intervention of CISF and airport officials.
Some passengers said they had to sleep on the floor and buy food for themselves, alleging that the airline did not provide any facilities.
A source at the Mumbai airport said, 'The officials were made aware of the delay and the airline was notified to ensure passenger assistance.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
4 hours ago
- Business Standard
Over 250 flights disrupted in Mumbai as rains lead to delays, cancellations
Heavy rains in Mumbai cause major flight disruptions, including delays, cancellations, and diversions. Over 250 flights were affected, with several diverted to other cities Ajinkya Kawale Mumbai Heavy rains lashed Mumbai, disrupting over 250 flights with delays and cancellations, while a dozen were diverted to other cities. At least 12 flights were diverted to cities such as Ahmedabad, Surat, and Hyderabad, while 90 arrivals were disrupted, resulting in delays, according to data from flight monitoring portal FlightRadar24. Four departures were cancelled, and 188 flights were delayed after torrential rains reduced visibility at the airport. India's second-busiest airport, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, handles more than 870 daily flights. Airlines informed passengers of the disruptions and advised them to check the status of their flights. 'Continuous rainfall in Mumbai is currently affecting air traffic, causing delays in flight operations. Due to air traffic congestion, some flights are currently being held. Rest assured, our teams are working closely with air traffic control and will get you moving as soon as conditions allow,' IndiGo said in a statement on the social media platform X. Mumbai continued to receive heavy rainfall for the fourth consecutive day, leading to waterlogging in low-lying areas of the city. The city received upwards of 177 mm of rainfall in six to eight hours on Monday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in some areas and extremely heavy showers at isolated locations in Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad until Tuesday. Ratnagiri was placed under a red alert, while Palghar, Sindhudurg, Aurangabad, Hingoli, Jalgaon, Jalna, Nanded, and Parbhani remained under orange alert. According to the IMD, Mumbai is expected to receive heavy rainfall on August 19, with sustained heavy showers likely to continue on August 20 and 21 under cloudy skies. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced a holiday for all schools in Mumbai on August 19.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Geopolitical tensions, regulatory issues led to over 5,700 flight cancellations for major Indian airlines in January-June
Over 5,700 flights of major Indian airlines had to be cancelled in the first six months of the 2025 due to geopolitical issues and regulatory problems, according to data shared by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. Over the past few months, geopolitical tensions—including the four-day military conflagration between India and Pakistan in May and the Iran-Israel conflict—had led to disruptions for Indian airlines, including a super-normal level of flight cancellations. The closure of Pakistani airspace for Indian airlines is still in place, and continues to impact west-bound international flights of Indian airlines. A large number of domestic flights operating to and from sensitive airports in northern and western India were cancelled during Operation Sindoor in May as civilian aircraft operations at these airports—mostly defence airfields—were suspended during the conflict. The country's largest airline IndiGo—with 3,274 flight cancellations—accounted for around 57 per cent of the total cancellations in January-June, followed by the Air India group—Air India and Air India Express—with around 26 per cent, or 1,468 flight cancellations. With 401 flight cancellations, SpiceJet accounted for 7 per cent of the total cancellations during the six-month period, while Akasa Air accounted for 1.1 per cent with 64 flights cancelled. Government-owned regional airline Alliance Air had 499 cancellations, or 8.7 per cent of the total. In all, the 5,706 cancellations across IndiGo, Air India group, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, and Alliance Air accounted for 1 per cent of the total flights of these airlines in the January-June period. The total number of departures for these airlines in the first six months of the year stood at 5,72,079, the data showed. 'Airlines incur costs due to delays and cancellations, including additional fuel, crew overtime, maintenance, airport fees, and rebooking expenses. Further, Airlines are required to provide refunds or compensation to passengers for cancellations or significant delays. Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-June 2025 registered a growth of 7.34 % as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year,' Mohol stated in the written reply.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
SpiceJet flight from Dubai to Kochi diverted to Coimbatore due to bad weather
Representative image COIMBATORE: A SpiceJet flight from Dubai to Kochi was diverted to Coimbatore International Airport on Friday night due to bad weather at Cochin International Airport . The flight, carrying 181 passengers, was scheduled to land at Kochi at 6.25pm on Friday but was diverted to Coimbatore, where it landed around 7.30pm. Passengers alleged that no food and water had been provided to them till 1am on Saturday. 'There were many elderly passengers and children among us. When we asked airline officials, they told us to wait till Saturday afternoon for a flight to Kochi and said that accommodation would be arranged,' said a passenger in a video that went viral on social media. Videos of passengers arguing with airline staff were widely shared online. Around 2am on Saturday, cabs were arranged to transport around 60 passengers from Coimbatore to Kochi. Others reportedly arranged their own transportation. When contacted, a SpiceJet official said, 'We arranged cabs for around 60 passengers to reach Kochi. Arranging vehicles for all passengers took some time. So, some chose to travel on their own. Since it was an odd time, only sandwiches, juice, soft drinks and biscuits were available with our caterer, and we provided those items to the passengers.' The flight departed for Kochi at 3pm on Saturday. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Krishna Janmashtami Wishes ,, messages , and quotes !
