New Delhi: Passengers aboard a Pune-bound SpiceJet flight experienced severe discomfort and distress at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Tuesday night after the aircraft suffered an air-conditioning system failure while waiting on the tarmac. Flight SG-105, scheduled to depart for Pune at 9:55 PM, was delayed before boarding commenced around 10:30 PM, after which travellers were kept inside the stationary aircraft with malfunctioning ventilation in sweltering conditions. Visuals circulated on social media showed over 100 stranded passengers standing in the aisles, sweating profusely, and using handheld items to fan themselves amidst rising cabin temperatures.
According to passengers on board, the cabin air conditioning remained non-functional for over half an hour while the aircraft taxied towards the runway. Conditions inside the closed cabin deteriorated rapidly, causing severe distress to elderly travellers, young children, and pregnant women on board. Passengers alleged that when hot air began blowing from the vents, cabin crew members instructed everyone to remain seated rather than addressing the growing ventilation crisis. As the heat intensified and multiple passengers faced medical discomfort, travellers demanded that the captain abort the takeoff and open the aircraft doors immediately.
The aircraft subsequently aborted its taxiing sequence and returned to the terminal bay, where passengers disembarked and staged protests on the tarmac. Passengers expressed deep concern regarding flight safety and refused to reboard the same aircraft, prompting airline management to call Central Industrial Security Force personnel to maintain order. Although technical personnel initially stated the issue would be rectified in twenty minutes, the problem remained unresolved, forcing the carrier to arrange a replacement aircraft after a prolonged delay.
In an official statement released on Wednesday, a SpiceJet spokesperson acknowledged that flight SG-105 encountered a last-minute technical issue and deeply regretted the inconvenience caused to passengers. The airline maintained that the air-conditioning system remained operational throughout and suggested that prevailing weather in Delhi contributed to passenger discomfort. The replacement aircraft eventually departed New Delhi at 5:00 AM on Wednesday, landing in Pune nearly twelve hours after the original scheduled departure time.
