Amritsar: Passengers of a SpiceJet flight to Dubai were left stranded at Sri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport on Sunday after their departure was delayed by nearly 18 hours, with the airline repeatedly changing the schedule and passengers alleging they were given no satisfactory explanation.The flight, scheduled to depart around 8.30 am, was first pushed to 11.40 am and then to 2 pm. Passengers were later told it would depart around 2 am on Monday.Agitated passengers raised slogans against SpiceJet and some sought refunds after waiting for hours at the airport.Deepak Kumar, a passenger from Phagwara, said the repeated delays had left him worried as he was due to report for duty and feared the delay could affect his joining.Anchal Sood, a passenger from Ludhiana travelling with her six-year-old daughter, said the airline’s helpline told her the delay was due to a technical problem. “If there was a technical problem, why were passengers not informed beforehand?” she said, adding that timely information would have allowed them to make alternative arrangements.Passengers also alleged that SpiceJet staff made no arrangements for accommodation despite the prolonged delay and did not clearly inform them about hotel accommodation they believed they were entitled to under applicable DGCA passenger-rights provisions.The delay was particularly difficult for passengers travelling with young children. One woman, travelling with a breastfeeding child, was heard asking airline staff for accommodation, saying the hot and humid conditions outside the airport were making the wait increasingly difficult. She alleged that she received no satisfactory response.
