New Delhi, August 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Pune turned into a nearly nine-hour ordeal for passengers after a last-minute technical issue left travellers complaining of excessive heat inside the aircraft before an alternate plane was arranged.
The flight was scheduled to leave Terminal 1 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday but was subsequently delayed to 10:30 p.m. After passengers boarded, several reported that the cabin temperature was rising and that the air conditioning was inadequate.
Passengers shared videos and accounts of the experience on social media, with some describing the cabin as unbearably hot. Videos showed travellers standing and fanning themselves while waiting inside the aircraft.
According to passengers, the discomfort continued for an extended period, turning what was scheduled to be a two-hour-and-10-minute journey into an ordeal lasting nearly nine hours. Some travellers also reported experiencing suffocation-like conditions.
SpiceJet acknowledged on Wednesday that the flight had encountered a technical issue at the last minute and said an alternate aircraft was arranged to operate the Pune service.
However, the airline disputed claims that the air conditioning had stopped working.
“The air conditioning remained operational throughout. Due to prevailing weather conditions in Delhi, some passengers may have experienced discomfort,” a SpiceJet spokesperson said, while expressing regret for the inconvenience caused.
Sources familiar with the incident, however, said a large number of passengers experienced considerable discomfort because of the heat inside the aircraft and that the problem was reportedly linked to the air conditioning system.
The exact number of passengers affected was not immediately available.
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