Now Reading: 40 Dubai passengers stranded after SpiceJet cancels connecting flights
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40 Dubai passengers stranded after SpiceJet cancels connecting flights
More than 40 passengers arriving from Dubai on a SpiceJet flight were stranded at Mumbai airport early Thursday after their connecting flights to Darbhanga and Gorakhpur were cancelled without prior notice, police…
More than 40 passengers arriving from Dubai on a SpiceJet flight were stranded at Mumbai airport early Thursday after their connecting flights to Darbhanga and Gorakhpur were cancelled without prior notice, police said. The passengers, many of whom had rushed home for family emergencies including funerals and a wife in ICU, said they received no intimation from the airline and were left without food or accommodation. Airport police stepped in and arranged their stay at a nearby dormitory.
SpiceJet denied the claim, saying the cancellation was communicated 14 hours before departure through registered contact details. The airline said passengers were offered a full refund or rescheduling on the next available flight. However, the incident follows a week of mounting operational pressure: SpiceJet's July cancellation rate was 8.58%, and it faces an ongoing NCLT matter after a lessor withdrew its Rs 60-crore insolvency plea on Wednesday, but seven other lessor petitions remain.
Police told the airline that a repeat could result in an FIR under criminal breach of trust provisions. A separate group of 38 passengers from a SpiceJet flight from Goa to Delhi was also stranded in Mumbai after the pilot reached his duty limit. Those passengers were to continue to Delhi but were left waiting.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The incident highlights the vulnerability of passengers who book connecting flights through smaller or financially strained carriers. SpiceJet has been shrinking its fleet and network for months, and its on-time performance has deteriorated sharply. The airline now faces seven unresolved insolvency petitions from lessors, any one of which could force it into the NCLT process if a settlement is not reached. For passengers, the practical risk is that a single missed connection can derail urgent travel, especially for those from the Gulf who often book last-minute tickets for bereavement or medical emergencies. The next date to watch is the NCLT hearing scheduled for later this month on the remaining lessor petitions.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
