Latest news with #SpiceJet
Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Cabin crew asks passengers to ‘meditate' after AC stops working mid-air, video sparks outrage: ‘Incredibly dangerous'
A video of passengers drenched in sweat and struggling to keep calm on a US flight due to the air conditioning system has sparked outrage on social media. According to a viral Reddit post, the flight temperature reached 54 degrees Celsius mid-air, and upon backlash, the cabin crew asked the passengers to 'meditate'. The footage shows passengers in distress, fanning themselves with in-flight manuals and magazines to cope with the unbearable cabin temperature. 'Folks, we are trying to do our best right now. The sooner we get the air, the better,' a crew member can be heard saying. 'Please be seated, seatbelts fastened, and armrests down. Please meditate and stay calm.' The advice to 'meditate and stay calm' did not land well. One passenger was heard saying, 'Are you serious right now?' 'POV: Air Is Broken On Your On Your Fight Today, It's 130°,' the Reddit post read. Watch the video here: POV: Air Is Broken On Your On Your Fight Today, It's 130° byu/InGeekiTrust inTikTokCringe The incident sparked a conversation about airline accountability and the safety of passengers during mid-air mechanical failures. 'This is incredibly dangerous for many people, could easily kill someone,' a user wrote. 'People with medical problems can die from the heat at that temperature. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen,' another user commented. 'You don't even need to have medical problems. This temperature is dangerous for anyone, especially if you're in it for several hours. This plane should not have left the ground,' a third user said. 'People never truly understand the pervasive nature of Southern heat until they experience it themselves. It's that uncomfortable type of hot that you just can't sit with ever,' a fourth user wrote. A similar incident took place in June 2024, where passengers on a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Darbhanga were forced to sit in the aircraft without air-conditioning for over an hour.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Focus on aviation safety brings smoking on flights under scrutiny
KOCHI: Renewed scrutiny of aviation safety, following the recent Air India crash in Ahmedabad, has shone the light on a concerning trend: Frequent incidents of passengers smoking inside planes, particularly in lavatories. According to police, there has been an increase in recent months of incidents involving passengers caught smoking on board overseas flights. In just the past two weeks, two passengers were detained for smoking on flights arriving in Kochi from Gulf countries. Officers of Nedumbassery police station said that at least six such cases have been registered in the last one year. The latest incident took place on June 15, when a passenger from Chalakudy was caught smoking in the lavatory of a Dubai-Kochi SpiceJet flight. Airport security officials detained the man and handed him over to local police. A case was registered under Section 118(e) of the Kerala Police Act for public nuisance and endangerment, and Sections 4 and 21 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) for smoking in prohibited areas. Last month, a similar offence was reported involving a Thrissur passenger travelling from Dubai. 'In recent months, we have been receiving frequent reports of passengers caught smoking on board, mostly in lavatories,' said Rajesh T R, deputy superintendent of police, Aluva. 'Smoking on flights is strictly prohibited due to the threat it poses to passengers and safety. Many offenders use e-cigarettes, assuming these won't be detected. Since these products are more accessible in foreign countries, passengers often carry and use them mid-flight. Though the offence is bailable, we do file a charge sheet and the accused must face trial,' he said.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Flight delay, missing baggage and broken tray tables leave SpiceJet flyers frustrated
Pune: It was far from pleasant journey for SpiceJet passengers on Wednesday and Thursday, with flyers complaining about flight delay, broken tray tables, missing baggage, and not being served their booked meals. Around 90 passengers travelling from Goa to Pune faced an ordeal on Wednesday afternoon after their flight was delayed by two-and-a-half hours. To make matters worse, many found their tray tables broken when they got down to eat. As if these were not enough, the airline's Dubai-Pune flight landed in the city on Thursday without the flyers' baggage. SpiceJet's Goa-Pune flight was supposed to take off at 5.20pm. It finally departed Goa at 7.52pm. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Harsh Kahate, one of the passengers flying with some of his friends, said that the flight which arrived in Goa from Mumbai was an hour-and-a-half late. The same plane was to fly to Pune. Hence, the delay happened. "The airline didn't inform passengers about the delay. This angered flyers," he said. Kahate said the passengers boarded the aircraft around 7.15pm. "The condition of the aircraft was pretty bad. The tray table for my seat was broken. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo Hence, I couldn't keep my food there." He said, "There was some mismanagement, too. I had pre-booked a non-vegetarian sandwich, but was offered something else. Upon enquiry, I was told that the food I had ordered wasn't available." A SpiceJet spokesperson told TOI that normal wear and tear could occur during operations. "SpiceJet flight (SG 1080) scheduled to operate from Goa to Pune was initially delayed due to a last-minute operational issue during its previous rotation and later due to NOTAM at Goa airport. SpiceJet deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers. Normal wear and tear can occur during operations. We would like to clarify that such temporary fixes are purely cosmetic and applied only to non-critical components, which do not hamper safety. The aircraft underwent all mandatory safety and pre-flight maintenance checks. The issue was rectified at the next station upon landing. We regret any inconvenience caused and reiterate that passenger safety was never compromised at any point," the spokesperson said. Many passengers travelling on SpiceJet flight from Dubai to Pune on Thursday said their baggage did not arrive. Boudhayan Sajbhajna, whose wife had travelled from Dubai, told TOI that all attempts to contact the airline proved futile. "The number they had given doesn't connect, and we don't know what to do. My wife has to go back after 3 days but we have no clue when the luggage will arrive," he said. A SpiceJet spokesperson said, "SpiceJet flight SG 52, scheduled to operate from Dubai to Pune, had to carry extra fuel because of bad weather forecast. Some of the baggage had to be offloaded due to restricted take-off weight. This is a normal industry practice followed when there is a payload restriction. The baggage is being accommodated on the next flight to Pune. Safety is of utmost and primary concern at SpiceJet, and we always ensure that at no point it is compromised. " Pics courtesy: X handle @chevauxenbois
Hans India
4 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Domestic air passenger traffic rises to 1.4 crore
New Delhi: India's domestic air passenger traffic registered a 1.89 per cent increase during May this year to 1.4 crore, compared to the corresponding figure of 1.38 crore in the same month last year, according to the latest data compiled by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Operations at over 30 airports near the border regions were impacted for around a week's time in May, due to the India-Pakistan conflict that followed the massacre of 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam by Pakistan-based terrorists. The disruption in flight services also affected the passenger load factor (PLF) of all airlines, which reflects the number of occupied seats on a flight. IndiGo's PLF fell to 85.1 per cent from 86.9 per cent in the same month of the previous year, SpiceJet's PLF declined to 84 per cent from 86 per cent, and Air India's PLF dipped to 80.2 per cent from 83.3 per cent. Akasa Air's recorded the highest PLF for the month at 91.4 per cent. IndiGo, the leading country's leading airline, increased its market share to 64.6 per cent in May from 64.1 per cent as the low-cost airline carried 90.8 lakh passengers during the month. Air India, on the other hand, registered a decline in its market share to 26.5 per cent from 27.2 per cent. The airline national carrier carried 37.22 lakh passengers during the month. Among other carriers, SpiceJet saw a fall in market share to 2.4 per cent from 2.6 per cent, and Akasa Air raised its share to 5.3 per cent from 5 per cent. The domestic airlines received around 958 passengers related complaints in May, with Alliance Air receiving the maximum complaints followed by Fly Big and Spice Jet.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Middle East conflict: Flights resume, passengers relieved as airlines restore operations
AFTER THE disruption caused by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, major Indian airlines have begun resuming flights from Wednesday, offering relief to hundreds of affected travellers. Carriers including Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet had earlier suspended or rerouted services as a safety measure, but with conditions gradually stabilising, operations are being cautiously restored. Apoorva, an Air India official, said the suspensions were necessary due to security concerns linked to the conflict. 'With the situation now stabilising, we have resumed operations on certain routes. Passenger communication, rebooking, and refunds are being handled as per protocol,' the official said. SpiceJet spokesperson said, 'Flight operations to the Middle East have now returned to normal. We're operating smoothly and even resumed our flights from the 25th.' Dr Santosh, a passenger who was scheduled to fly from Ahmedabad to London on Air India flight AI 159, shared his experience, 'I was supposed to fly on Tuesday morning at 5:30, but due to the situation in the Middle East, our flight got cancelled. It was stressful because I thought I would miss important business work in London. Now that the flights have resumed, I feel a huge sense of relief. I'm thankful that operations are slowly returning to normal.' Among the routes affected earlier this week were Pune-Singapore and Bengaluru-Singapore, both of which were temporarily suspended by Air India until at least July 15. The airline had also halted its Mumbai-Bagdogra route and reduced frequencies on 19 other major domestic and short-haul international routes. Routes such as Delhi-Mumbai, Mumbai-Kolkata, and Delhi-Goa saw temporary frequency cuts. Despite the cuts, Air India continued operating nearly 600 daily flights and had assured passengers that it was working proactively to offer re-accommodation, complimentary rescheduling, or full refunds. With the easing of tension in some regions, the airline has now begun restoring schedules in a phased manner. IndiGo, which had suspended flights to and from over a dozen Middle Eastern cities including Dubai, Doha, Kuwait, and Jeddah, also resumed select services on Wednesday. The airline continues to assess the situation closely in coordination with aviation authorities and is gradually reactivating affected routes where safe. Meanwhile, in a stark reminder of the seriousness of the situation, a Dubai-bound SpiceJet flight from Pune was forced to return mid-air early Monday morning. Flight SG-51 had taken off from Pune International Airport around 9:54 pm but returned shortly after crossing Indian airspace due to the escalating conflict in the region. While the airspace over conflict-affected zones remains under watch, Indian carriers have reiterated that passenger safety remains their top priority. Flyers are advised to check real-time updates via airline websites or apps and ensure their contact details are updated for timely alerts. With phased resumptions now underway, airlines are cautiously optimistic about returning to full operations, provided the geopolitical environment continues to stabilise.
