Two SpiceJet flights from Delhi to Dubai were delayed by more than 24 hours. Around 200 passengers, frustrated by the delay, staged a protest by sitting on the floor inside Terminal 3 of Delhi Airport on Tuesday. They chanted, “Airline chor hai” (the airline is a thief).
The passengers had been waiting for their flights since Monday. However, the schedules of both flights were repeatedly changed without any clear reason. Neither flight could take off until Tuesday afternoon.
The first flight, SG 5111, was scheduled to depart Delhi at 8:30 am on Monday and reach Dubai at 11:15 am. The second, SG 5105, was scheduled to depart at 10:10 pm and arrive in Dubai at 12:55 am.
SpiceJet has had the worst on-time performance among all major airlines this year. In July, only 34.5% of SpiceJet flights were on time.
SpiceJet says delays caused by one aircraft being grounded
According to SpiceJet, both flights were delayed due to operational reasons after one aircraft was grounded. The airline has started making arrangements to fly the affected passengers on another flight.
A grounded flight means an aircraft has been stopped from operating. This usually happens due to technical issues, safety concerns or an official order.
The airline apologised to passengers over the incident. A SpiceJet spokesperson said efforts were being made to get the passengers to Dubai on another flight as soon as possible.
In the video, the passengers were seen raising thieves and thieves.
SpiceJet trails rivals in on-time performance
According to July data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), SpiceJet’s on-time performance stood at just 34.5%. This means nearly two-thirds of its flights did not operate on schedule. By comparison, IndiGo recorded an on-time performance of 91.2%, Akasa Air 90.8%, and Air India 86.5%.
SpiceJet also had the smallest market share among the major airlines. In July, its market share stood at 1.6%, with the airline carrying 1.87 lakh passengers. IndiGo had a 67.4% share, followed by the Air India group at 24% and Akasa Air at 5.5%.
Close watch on SpiceJet’s operations
SpiceJet has been facing several challenges in recent months. Last week, Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu said the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA were closely monitoring the airline’s financial position and operations.
