Pune: More than 100 flyers bound for Dubai were left stranded at the Pune airport for over 20 hours as SpiceJet’s flight SG-51 was repeatedly delayed and rescheduled.Passengers alleged that the airline’s ground staff offered minimal information or assistance. The flight was scheduled to depart from Pune at 9pm on Thursday and reach Dubai at 10.55 pm. Instead, passengers endured a series of revised departure times before finally boarding around 5.30pm on Friday.Prabhat Road resident and businessman Gurveen Khanduja, who was travelling with his wife, described the experience as “agonising”, particularly for the construction workers among the passengers who had little money to arrange alternative travel or even buy food during the prolonged wait.“I reached the airport around 8am on Friday. The airline first rescheduled the flight from 9pm to 12.40 am, then to 2.40 am, and again to 5.20 am. They later confirmed that the flight would leave at 11.40 am, and we reached the airport accordingly. However, many passengers, especially construction workers, had been at the airport since 6pm on Thursday. Shortly before the new departure time, we were told it had been delayed again and would leave at 12.30 pm,” Khanduja told TOI. VVideos shared on social media showed angry passengers confronting airline ground staff and demanding answers. “How can you do this to us? Why can’t you arrange another aircraft? If you cannot give us answers, call your superiors,” one passenger was heard saying. Passengers also alleged that the airline did not provide food or beverages during the prolonged delay, adding to their frustration. “We are construction workers and don’t have money with us. How can you expect us to buy food costing Rs400 to Rs500? Many of us have to reach Dubai or our visas will expire. Why aren’t you telling us anything?” passengers were heard asking.Khanduja said the altercations continued as the departure time kept changing. Around noon, passengers were told the flight would leave at 3pm. After they approached airport authorities, they were provided tea, water and biscuits around 3.30 pm. “The airline took no responsibility. By then, we were told the flight would leave after 5pm and that an aircraft from Mumbai was on its way to operate the Dubai service,” he said.Several passengers said even a refund would not solve their problem, as last-minute airfares to Dubai had crossed Rs60,000.The airline was contacted on Friday morning and sent a detailed query over WhatsApp. A spokesperson was also contacted for a reminder in the afternoon, but a response was awaited till the time of going to press.In a recent statement, SpiceJet had attributed frequent delays on the Dubai route to multiple operational reasons, including air traffic congestion at the Dubai airport. Dubai airport authorities were also contacted for confirmation, and an answer was awaited. Sources in the airline said that the Delhi–Pune flight (SG-939) developed a technical problem on Thursday, which affected its operation. Sources added Friday’s Pune–Dubai flight was also expected to be delayed. The Delhi–Pune flight, scheduled to depart at 4.55 pm. on Thursday, was repeatedly rescheduled before being cancelled around 1am on Friday. Flyer Kartik Joshi said he and his wife were left stranded in Delhi for hours. Khanduja said boarding finally began around 5.30 pm. “It has been a nightmare. I fail to understand why the DGCA does not act against the airline,” he said. According to Flightradar24, SG-51 departed at 6.05 pm on Friday and was expected to reach Dubai at about 7.30 pm.
