New Delhi — Passengers on two SpiceJet flights from Delhi to Dubai faced lengthy delays Tuesday, with one flight grounded for more than 24 hours, prompting protests at Delhi airport.
Flight SG 5111, which was scheduled to depart at 7:45 a.m. Monday, was delayed several times and had not departed by the time of reporting, according to NDTV. Flight tracking platform Flightradar24 showed the flight as canceled.
Another flight, SG 5105, scheduled to leave Delhi at 6:45 p.m. Monday, was delayed until Tuesday afternoon.
Passengers said they had received few fresh updates from the airline. Videos circulating on social media showed stranded travelers sitting on the terminal floor and demanding information about their flights.
According to the report, Delhi airport authorities provided food and refreshments to affected passengers and assisted them during the disruption.
SpiceJet said the delays were caused by operational issues after one of its aircraft was grounded.
“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,” the airline said in a statement.
The airline said alternate flights were being arranged for affected passengers and apologized for the inconvenience.
The disruption comes amid a series of recent flight interruptions linked to weather and technical issues. On Sunday, Air India flight AI431 was diverted to Lucknow because of unfavorable weather and poor visibility, while another Air India flight from Bhopal to Delhi was diverted to Jaipur because of a technical issue. (Source: IANS)
