SG 5111 was due to take off at 8.30 am, while SG 5105 was scheduled for 10.10 pm. More than 100 passengers staged a protest at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after two SpiceJet flights to Dubai were hit by prolonged delays, leaving travellers waiting for hours. SpiceJet flights SG 5111 and SG 5105 were scheduled to depart from Delhi on Monday morning and evening, respectively.
Responding to the disruption on Tuesday, a SpiceJet spokesperson apologised to passengers and attributed the delays to operational issues following the grounding of an aircraft. Airport officials also raised the issue with SpiceJet executives. The two Dubai-bound flights normally take around three to four hours to complete the journey, making the prolonged wait particularly difficult for passengers. The disruption comes as SpiceJet faces continuing financial and operational challenges. “Every month we engage with all the airlines regarding whatever difficulties or issues or challenges they have. SpiceJet also, in the same regard, we have been meeting. We have been pushing them to step up their operations, mainly the financial side of it. They have also assured that they will be doing it quite soon… The latest delays have added to concerns among passengers over SpiceJet’s ability to maintain regular operations, with the airline saying it was working to arrange alternative flights and reduce the inconvenience caused to those affected.
“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. However, both flights were rescheduled and had still not departed by 2 pm on Tuesday, with passengers continuing to wait at the airport. Watch here: The protests began at different points in Terminal 3 late Monday evening, according to a source cited by media reports.
“Alternate flights are being arranged to accommodate the affected passengers, and the airline is making every effort to minimise the inconvenience caused,” the spokesperson said in a statement. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said last week that the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) were closely monitoring the airline’s financial position and operations. Naidu said.
