Over 200 passengers stuck on IndiGo flight at Chennai airport for 5 hours

Over 200 passengers on IndiGo flight 6E1025 from Chennai to Singapore faced a five-hour delay onboard, leading to frustration and viral social media posts.

Updated on: Feb 25, 2026, 18:43:09 IST

Written by Yamini C S

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Over 200 passengers on an IndiGo flight from Chennai to Singapore were made to stay seated inside the aircraft for nearly five hours on Tuesday, far exceeding the actual flight time, sparking widespread frustration and a viral video capturing heated exchanges with airline staff.

While the airline cited a technical issue and crew duty limitations, many passengers felt left in the dark during the ordeal, as per social media posts. (PTI)

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An IndiGo statement said flight 6E 1025 was required to return to the bay after a minor technical issue was detected. During the inspection and maintenance process, the operating cockpit crew crossed the permitted flight duty time limits, making a crew change mandatory and resulting in additional delay. “We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers and did our best to minimise it by offering refreshments and sharing timely update. At IndiGo, the safety of our customers and crew is our top priority,” the statement added.

The aircraft eventually departed only after an alternate crew was deployed. Passengers, however, painted a different picture on social media. In a short video that circulated widely, several travellers were heard alleging that no clear reason was communicated for the prolonged wait. Some asked how long they would have to wait and other inquired about the pilot.

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The flight, numbered 6E1025, was scheduled to take off at 7:30 am, with boarding beginning an hour earlier. Despite passengers being seated well before departure time, the aircraft remained grounded for hours. Infants, elderly passengers and working professionals were all stuck onboard, and those who asked to disembark due to discomfort were not allowed to do so for a long stretch, reported The Times of India.

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Passengers also claimed that the original pilot exited the aircraft midway through the delay citing duty-hour restrictions, and that a replacement pilot arrived around 11 am, as per the report. The flight finally took off close to noon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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