Over 180 passengers were stranded at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after SpiceJet flight SG 939 to Pune was delayed for more than six hours and then cancelled.
The flight was scheduled to depart at 9:15 p.m. on July 27, but passengers waited at the terminal until nearly 3:30 a.m. before the cancellation was confirmed.
A SpiceJet spokesperson said a technical issue with the aircraft caused the delay, which eventually led to the flight being cancelled.
Passengers said the airline provided little clarity on the flight’s status for much of the night, especially in the final hours before cancellation.
Several passengers also complained that no proper food or water was arranged during the extended wait.
The prolonged delay resulted in a heated exchange between passengers and airline staff at the airport.
SpiceJet confirmed it arranged a replacement flight for the affected passengers, while travellers have called for a DGCA probe into the incident.
DGCA’s Civil Aviation Requirements require airlines to provide free meals and refreshments once a domestic delay passes a set threshold, and to keep passengers informed with accurate, timely updates rather than vague information.
The framework further requires airlines to arrange free hotel accommodation and transport for passengers hit by an unplanned overnight delay, rather than leaving travellers to sort out their own lodging and later seek reimbursement.
Passengers have increasingly taken to social media to report flight delays and cancellations, often tagging the DGCA and the civil aviation ministry directly to seek faster redressal.
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport is India’s busiest airport, handling a high volume of daily domestic and international departures, which can compound the impact of any single flight’s delay or cancellation.
The DGCA has previously issued show-cause notices to Indian carriers over service lapses, including inadequate passenger communication and failure to provide mandated facilities during long delays.
(Image: Photo by Kprateek88, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0/2.5/2.0/1.0)
