Flyers stuck for 5 hours inside aircraft at Mumbai airport

Cooped up inside a stuffy Kolkata-bound Spicejet aircraft, stalled for five hours at Mumbai airport on Monday, four passengers cancelled their trip after an abusive brawl with the pilot.

Cooped up inside a stuffy Kolkata-bound Spicejet aircraft, stalled for five hours at Mumbai airport on Monday, four passengers cancelled their trip after an abusive brawl with the pilot.

HT Image

Around 200 passengers sat cramped inside the aircraft allegedly without food, water or air-conditioning. The flight was scheduled to take off at 8.30 pm but was held up due to bad weather and operational reasons. The flight took off at 11.30 pm.

“I have never felt so helpless,” said Srinivas Shete, a cinematographer. Passengers said the crew forced them to wait inside the aircraft. A few passengers abused the pilot and even manhandled him.

A Spicejet spokesperson blamed rains, a last minute change of the runway and passenger ruckus for the delay.