3 days ago
SpiceJet Passengers Fume Over Repeated Pune Flight Delays
SpiceJet passengers flying from Pune faced very long delays.
Some flights to Dubai and Delhi were delayed by several hours.
One Pune-Delhi flight arrived about 14 hours later than planned.
A Pune-Dubai flight was also canceled twice during the week.
Passengers said there were long lines at the baggage counter.
One passenger said only one worker was handling baggage drop.
SpiceJet said some delays were caused by crowded air traffic near Dubai.
The airline also said passengers had been told about one schedule change in advance.
The Civil Aviation Ministry said it was speaking with SpiceJet about its problems.
SpiceJet flights from Pune to Dubai and Delhi faced repeated delays over the past week.
The Pune-Dubai SG-51 service was delayed by up to 11 hours and canceled twice, according to Flightradar24 data.
The Pune-Delhi SG-937 flight eventually departed about 14 hours after its scheduled time.
Passengers reported long baggage-drop queues and said compensation was not offered despite delays.
SpiceJet attributed the disruptions to Dubai and en-route air-traffic congestion, while the Civil Aviation Ministry said it was engaging with the airline.
- Who
- SpiceJet passengers, SpiceJet, and the Civil Aviation Ministry, including Union Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu.
- What
- Repeated delays and two cancellations affected SpiceJet flights from Pune to Dubai and Delhi.
- Where
- Pune Airport, on flights connecting Pune with Dubai and Delhi.
- When
- The disruptions occurred over the week beginning August 28, with reported delays on Wednesday and Thursday.
- Why
- SpiceJet cited air-traffic-control and en-route congestion around Dubai, causing departure-slot constraints and cascading delays.
Passengers' view
SpiceJet's view
Extent of disruption
Passengers' view
Passengers described delays of up to 14 hours, repeated rescheduling, cancellations, and what one flyer called the worst airline experience ever.
SpiceJet's view
SpiceJet said passengers on the Pune-Dubai service had been informed well in advance that its departure time was being changed to 8 am.
Airport handling
Passengers' view
Passengers complained that only one person was handling baggage drop, creating long queues and congestion despite the flight delay.
SpiceJet's view
The airline did not address the baggage-counter staffing complaint in the quoted response.
Cause and compensation
Passengers' view
A passenger said no compensation was offered even though the airline's policy appeared to provide for some compensation.
SpiceJet's view
SpiceJet attributed the delays to air-traffic congestion near Dubai, departure-slot constraints, and cascading effects when the aircraft continued to Delhi.
Key facts
- Affected airline
- SpiceJet
- Affected routes
- Pune-Dubai and Pune-Delhi
- International flight
- SG-51 was scheduled to depart Pune at 9 pm daily.
- Domestic flight
- SG-937 was scheduled to depart Pune at 5:55 am and reach Delhi at 8:30 am.
- Longest reported delay
- The Pune-Delhi SG-937 flight was delayed by nearly 14 hours.
- Cancellations
- SG-51 was canceled on August 30 and September 1, according to Flightradar24 data.
- Airline explanation
- SpiceJet cited Dubai and en-route air-traffic congestion, slot constraints, and cascading delays.
- Government response
- The Civil Aviation Ministry said it was in contact with SpiceJet and other carriers.
Quotes
SpiceJet spokesperson
SpiceJet representative explaining the causes of Dubai-related and onward delays
“It is extremely disappointing that SpiceJet flight SG51 from Pune to Dubai got delayed by 6 hours. To make matters worse, there was only one person handling baggage drop, resulting in a huge queue and severe congestion at Pune Airport. When there was a delay already, why wasn’t adequate staff deployed to at least ease the baggage-drop process?”
indianexpress.com
“It is happening because of air traffic control (ATC) congestion in Dubai and en-route congestion, which resulted in departure-slot constraints and flight sequencing by Dubai airport authorities. And as the Dubai to Pune flight goes on to Delhi, if the flight gets delayed from Dubai, it’s a cascading delay effect on the further schedule.”
indianexpress.com
Abhinav Tiwari
Passenger who described repeated postponements and lack of compensation on a Pune-Delhi flight
“I had booked a SpiceJet morning flight for my friend from Pune to Delhi, and it was probably the worst airline experience ever. I booked a 5.30 am flight that was delayed to 4.30 pm, then to 5.30 pm, and then to 7.15 pm. And even though their policy says some compensation is due, nothing was offered.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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