Air travel has become an integral part of modern life, connecting people across cities, countries, and continents. However, recent reports about SpiceJet cancelling flights on the Delhi-Darbhanga route, some as late as five minutes before boarding, have left passengers furious.
On a typical day, passengers travelling from Delhi to Darbhanga –were left in shock when their flight was cancelled just five minutes before boarding. Allegations that this is becoming a recurring issue only exacerbate the frustration felt by many. Passengers of the SpiceJet flight ended up in a heated exchange with the airline officials after the airline cancelled the flight five minutes before boarding, according to NDTV. They have shared visuals of passengers shouting slogans in protest at the boarding gate in Delhi Airport’s Terminal 3. They were waiting to board SpiceJet flight No. SG 495.
SpiceJet Cancels Flight Just Before Boarding
#SpiceJet will completely ruin #Darbhanga #Airport. Today again there was a ruckus in #Delhi over the #cancellation of flight SG 495 to Darbhanga. SpiceJet staff clearly refused any relief citing @DGCAIndia norms!@mohol_murlidhar@AAI_Official it is useless to tag.#Save_DBR pic.twitter.com/nhSgbJQ4wC
— Bishnu K Jha (@bisnujha) September 14, 2024
According to several passengers, the airline has been cancelling flights on the Delhi-Darbhanga route regularly over the past few months. They claimed that SpiceJet cancels Delhi-Darbhanga flights every other day right before takeoff. According to them, this has caused passengers’ ire to grow. The airline has not yet released a statement regarding the situation. Following the discovery of certain deficiencies in a recent audit, SpiceJet was placed under increased surveillance by the aviation regulator DGCA last month. Despite several fund-raisers over the past year, the airline has been failing to fully restart operations, and it currently trails rivals IndiGo and Tata-owned Air India in terms of market share.
Repeated Delays & Cancellations
@MoTCAmv @flyspicejet Spicejet SG211 flight from Delhi to Goa is being cancelled after repeatedly delaying it for multiple times. We have been waiting at the airport since 7:00AM in the morning and have been travelling since past evening from Shimla. pic.twitter.com/TETI6tr2XP
— Raman Sharma (@ramansharma89) September 14, 2024
The cancellation of a SpiceJet flight five minutes before boarding on the Delhi-Darbhanga route has understandably enraged passengers. Beyond SpiceJet, the Delhi-Darbhanga cancellations speak to broader issues within India’s aviation sector. As more cities are connected via air routes, the demand for reliable air travel is growing. However, the infrastructure and resources required to sustain this growth may not be keeping up. Airlines need to ensure they have adequate resources and support systems in place to prevent disruptions on newer routes like Darbhanga.
But the incident also highlights larger issues within the airline and India’s aviation industry. SpiceJet needs to offer more transparency about why these cancellations are happening and ensure passengers are treated with the respect and compensation they deserve.
Cover image credits: Wikimedia Commons
First Published: September 15, 2024 8:43 AM