An IndiGo airlines passenger aircraft taxis on the tarmac at Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport in Mumbai, India, May 29, 2023. Photo by Reuters
More than 200 passengers aboard an IndiGo flight from Chennai to Singapore were left waiting inside the aircraft for nearly five hours earlier this week, with videos of the incident circulating on social media.
The flight was scheduled to depart at 7:30 a.m. but only took off at around 1 p.m. Tuesday, frustrating travelers who said the delay lasted longer than the journey itself, Times of India newspaper reported.
Video clips Wednesday showed visibly agitated passengers confronting cabin crew as the wait dragged on.
Passengers also said they were not allowed to disembark and had to remain seated inside the aircraft throughout the disruption.
In a statement quoted by the Press Trust of Indiathe airline said the aircraft returned to the bay due to a minor technical issue.
“While necessary checks and maintenance were being carried out, the cockpit crew exceeded their flight duty time limitations, necessitating a crew change and causing further delay,” Indian news site NDTV quoted the airline as saying.
The airline said refreshments were provided and updates shared during the wait while apologizing for the inconvenience.
The incident follows another disruption in January involving an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Thailand’s Krabi, when chaotic scenes unfolded after a pilot declined to operate the flight beyond permitted duty hours.
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