More than 100 passengers on a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Pune on Tuesday were left distressed for several hours after the aircraft developed an air-conditioning problem soon after boarding, with passengers alleging that the cabin became unbearably hot and humid.
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The passengers protested after the aircraft was moved towards the runway despite the problem, prompting the airline to return it and arrange another aircraft. An alternate aircraft was arranged, and the flight subsequently operated to Pune. The air conditioning remained operational throughout. SpiceJet deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to the passengers. “Initially, we thought the AC would take some time to start, as sometimes happens after boarding. But nearly half an hour had passed, and the cabin had become extremely hot. However, when it was switched on, passengers allegedly experienced another problem. But when they switched it on, hot air started coming directly from the blowers. Instead of cooling the cabin, it became even hotter. “The aircraft was taken towards the runway even though the problem had not been properly resolved. We asked them to change the flight. “We kept asking them what exactly had happened and why we were being made to sit in the same aircraft. The protest intensified as passengers demanded that the aircraft be changed. “After we protested, they called the technical team. “We were outside the aircraft for around three hours. We were given water, but the entire situation was extremely stressful. Javalge also recalled the presence of a large number of CISF personnel during the protest. “The biggest problem was that nobody was telling us what had gone wrong. We were sitting inside an extremely hot aircraft with children and elderly people around us. “The aircraft had already been taken towards the runway. We kept thinking, what if it had taken off? Who would have taken responsibility if something had gone wrong?
The replacement flight took off around 5 am, nearly seven hours after the scheduled 9.55 pm departure. In an official statement, a SpiceJet spokesperson said, “On August 11, 2026, SpiceJet flight SG 105, scheduled to operate from Delhi to Pune, encountered a last-minute technical issue. Passenger Leshpal Javalge, who was among those who protested at Delhi airport, said the trouble began after passengers boarded at around 10.30 pm. Despite the discomfort, the aircraft was moved towards the runway at around 11 pm, prompting stronger objections from passengers. Passengers were subsequently taken off the aircraft at around 12.30 am and made to wait for several hours near it.
Due to prevailing weather conditions in Delhi, some passengers may have experienced discomfort.
The aircraft was full and, with the doors closed, the humidity became unbearable,” he said. Javalge said the conditions were particularly difficult for children, elderly passengers and pregnant women. The crew initially assured passengers that the air-conditioning system would be started within a few minutes, according to Javalge. “They told us that they would start the AC and fix everything within two minutes. It literally felt like a gas chamber inside the aircraft,” he said. We started protesting and told them that we did not want to travel in that aircraft. We were not prepared to take a risk with our lives,” Javalge said. He said passengers initially did not receive satisfactory answers from airline staff. Instead of giving us a proper answer, the staff told us to sit down and not make a scene. We were asking a very simple question — if there was a technical problem, why were we being asked to continue with the same aircraft?” he said. Javalge said the airline eventually called its technical team to inspect the aircraft. The team checked the aircraft, and then the airline officials told us that the aircraft would have to be changed,” he said. We had boarded expecting to reach Pune during the night, but instead we were sitting at the airport for hours,” he said. Another passenger, who did not wish to be named, said the prolonged wait and lack of clear communication added to the frustration. When we questioned the staff, we did not get a satisfactory response,” the passenger said. The passenger said the protest was driven by concerns over safety rather than the delay alone. Passenger safety should have been the priority,” another passenger said.
