Jagran Correspondent, New Delhi | A major uproar occurred on a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Pune at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. As soon as boarding was complete, the cabin air-conditioning (AC) system suddenly stopped working, causing the temperature inside the plane to rise sharply.
Passengers Stage Protest, Prompting Air Authority To Halt The Flight
The extreme heat and stuffiness worsened the passengers' condition. After receiving no relief for a long time, their anger erupted. Passengers began protesting against the crew and halted the flight just before takeoff.
Later, they descended on the terminus and protested the airline's negligence, after which the plane was returned to the landing bay.
Children And The Elderly Suffer Breathing Difficulties
Passengers alleged that many children and elderly flyers were aboard the plane when AC system stopped working, leading to suffocation inside the plane. As the AC was not working and there was no ventilation, the passengers became drenched in sweat. The situation became so dire that many people experienced severe breathing difficulties.
Several videos of this incident have been shared on social media, in which people are seen facing trouble in the cabin. The videos show distressed passengers fanning themselves with magazines and papers kept in the plane's seats. The user who posted the video claimed that the plane already had a technical fault, which was ignored and boarding was allowed.
Captain Threatens Passengers Of Police Action
When the plane was brought to the runway for takeoff amid intense heat and suffocation, the passengers, fearing for their lives, refused to take off and began a commotion. Instead of providing relief, the flight captain and crew members began shouting at the passengers and even threatened to call the police to silence them. However, a subsequent investigation revealed that the plane already had a serious technical fault.