New Delhi: Passengers aboard a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Darbhanga had a heated argument with airline officials after the last-minute cancellation of their flight, just five minutes before the scheduled boarding, according to passengers.
Many passengers shared videos of the incident, showing a crowd raising slogans in protest at the boarding gate in Terminal 3 of Delhi airport. The affected passengers were set to board SpiceJet flight SG 495. In the video, passengers can be heard chanting “SpiceJet murdabad, murdabad” while raising their hands in frustration, an NDTV report said.
फ्लाइट नं SG 495 जो DEL से DBR को जाने वाली थी, जो बोर्डिंग से ठीक 5 मिनट पहले अचानक से रद्द कर दिया गया है, @flyspicejet की घटिया व्यवस्था से पैसेंजर्स हमेशा परेशान रहते हैं @JM_Scindia @flyspicejet तुरंत में दरभंगा के लिए फ्लाइट का अरेंज क किया जाए।। pic.twitter.com/Q91RPkUXk5
— संगीत चौधरी (@thesangeetujan) September 14, 2024
Frequent cancellations on the route
Some frequent travellers on the Delhi-Darbhanga route said that this has become a recurring issue, with SpiceJet frequently canceling flights on short notice in recent months. They further alleged that the airline has been regularly cancelling Delhi-Darbhanga flights just before boarding, which sparked growing frustration and anger among passengers. As of now, SpiceJet has not released any official statement regarding the situation.
SpiceJet under spotlight
Last month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) placed SpiceJet under increased scrutiny following an audit that identified “certain deficiencies” within the airline’s operations. Despite multiple fundraising efforts over the past year, SpiceJet has faced challenges in fully restoring its services, lagging behind competitors like IndiGo and Tata-owned Air India in market share.
On September 10, SpiceJet announced a deal with Carlyle Group’s aviation investment and servicing arm, which agreed to write off USD 40.2 million in lease arrears owed by the airline. Apart from that, USD 30 million of these arrears will be converted into equity. The equity conversion, valued at Rs 100 (USD 1.19) per share, represented a 56 per cent premium compared to SpiceJet’s closing price on September 10. According to the airline, this move will “significantly” increase Carlyle Aviation’s stake in the company.
