Pune: No food on flight after a two-and-a-half hours delay multiplied the plight of SpiceJet’s Delhi-bound passengers on Monday morning.Over 150 flyers were booked on SpiceJet’s Pune-Delhi flight (SG-937), scheduled to depart at 5.55am. They expected at least tea or coffee, if no breakfast, after the delay. But the cabin crew curtly told them that “no refreshment was available on board”.A SpiceJet spokesperson attributed the flight’s delay to the late arrival of the incoming aircraft from Dubai. “We deeply regret the inconvenience caused to passengers,” the spokesperson said. He did not revert regarding the absence of food and beverages on board till going to press.Among the passengers was Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee’s general secretary Amir Shaikh. He received a message around 3am informing him that the flight had been rescheduled to 7am. The boarding began around 7.45am and the aircraft eventually departed around 8.30am.“I am a frequent flyer and usually have my meal on board. Since this was an early morning flight, I was hungry and asked a cabin crew when the meal service would begin. I was told it would start shortly,” Shaikh told TOI.He said when he followed up with another crew member after waiting nearly 20 minutes, the latter told him that no food was available on the aircraft. “I was shocked. The crew member said there was no food even for the pilots. Nobody could explain why there was no catering. The staff themselves seemed clueless,” Shaikh said.“I saw a meal being taken to the cockpit after a while. When I enquired about it, the cabin crew member told me that the pilot had brought his own food and it was kept in the oven,” he added.Another passenger, requesting anonymity, said he had flown frequently on the Pune-Delhi sector but had never encountered such a situation. “Since the journey exceeds two hours, passengers expect an in-flight meal. Many people, especially senior citizens and diabetics, depend on on-board refreshments. Not everyone carries food, particularly for an early morning flight,” the passenger said.Talks on to utilise additional slots: MoholUnion minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol on Monday said the Centre’s priority was to maximise the use of additional flight slots made available at Pune airport with the cooperation of Indian Air Force.“All airlines operating from Pune have been informed about the additional slots. Discussions are under way with their headquarters to launch flights to new destinations and increase the frequency on existing routes. The Centre and the agencies concerned are working together to expand domestic and international connectivity from Pune based on passenger demand and airlines’ planning,” Mohol said.Last year, the IAF approved 15 additional slots, increasing the airport’s daily capacity from 220 to 235 flight movements. Around 21 slots have remained unutilised.
