SpiceJet passengers left in cabin without AC for an hour, allowed to walk around on tarmac

Passengers who had started to feel unwell in the heated cabin were allowed to deboard. Some were seen walking on the tarmac, which goes against rules.

A passenger strolls on the tarmac near the delayed Spicejet flight | By special arrangement | ThePrint

New Delhi: SpiceJet passengers travelling from Delhi to Srinagar had to wait inside a plane without air conditioning (AC) for over an hour amid the ongoing heatwave, with several feeling unwell.

Once allowed to deboard, the passengers walked on the Delhi airport tarmac to cool off, which goes against the rules and is a security risk. During the filing of this report, the Spicejet passengers had faced a delay of more than three hours.

This came days after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a show cause to Air India for causing passenger discomfort due to insufficient cooling in a flight cabin. Following a 20-hour delay in its New Delhi-San Francisco flight, Air India kept passengers seated inside the aircraft without sufficient cooling for hours last week, leading to some passengers fainting in the heat.

“In this heat, we were made to board and sit inside the plane for over an hour due to a technical glitch without AC. Then, we were deplaned and stuffed into a bus without AC. People are now roaming the tarmac after a three-hour delay with no solution from the airline,” a passenger, Dr Pandit, told ThePrint. “This is deplorable. They put the lives of passengers at risk in this weather… the children, the senior citizens.”

Speaking to ThePrint, a SpiceJet spokesperson said, “SpiceJet flight SG 8150 dated 3 June, 2024, scheduled to operate from Delhi to Srinagar, returned to the bay due to a technical issue. As the aircraft was under maintenance, the air-conditioning was not operating at its optimum. The flight later departed at 6.30pm. The inconvenience caused to the passengers is deeply regretted.”

Meanwhile, another passenger, Kanwar Preet Singh, said that his father, who was travelling along with him, has diabetes and started feeling sick amid the long delay. “I asked for tea for him, but it also did not come. I myself had an eye surgery, and look how I’m sweating,” he said.

“We understand if there is a technical fault, which may take time to get fixed, but at least make arrangements to ensure passengers don’t suffer. Why treat us this badly?” asked Singh.

Passengers left walking on the tarmac might also lead to more problems for the airline. Singh said the SpiceJet staff first told them that walking on the tarmac is prohibited and that they should either sit in one place or inside the bus, but when the passengers refused to follow the instructions, the staff let them be. But, the staff, he added, maintained a close watch on the passengers and limited people within a parameter.

The flight was delayed by over three hours | By special arrangement | ThePrint

In January this year, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) slapped a fine of Rs 1.2 crore on Indigo and Rs 60 lakh on Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) for violating aviation security norms after a video of passengers having food on the airport tarmac came to light. Separately, the DGCA imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on the airport operator for violating the “apron discipline as it jeopardised the safety of the passengers and the aircraft”. It also issued a notice to MIAL for violating “para 5 of DGCA Air Safety circular 04 of 2007 that directs all agencies working at the airport not to permit walking on active apron”.

The SpiceJet passengers, who struggled with the heat Monday, complained that the crew did not provide any proper updates and arranged for some juice packs only after people started fighting.

“We have been suffering in this heat for over three hours despite paying the full ticket price. They don’t even have the decency to convey how much longer it will take. Instead, the captain is threatening passengers to book them for violation. What will we do?” said another passenger, Adnan.

“I will make a formal complaint. This airline should be penalised. First, they (the airline staff) told us that it would take 45 minutes, and later, one hour. Why could they not arrange for another aircraft or at least send people to the airport so that they could wait in decent conditions? We remained holed up without any dignity,” he added.

This is an updated version of the report.

(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)