Delhi-Pune SpiceJet flight cancelled as AC snag leaves flyers ‘suffocating’

Leshpal Javalge, a flyer and national sports co-ordinator at Sarhad NGO, was on board the flight and recounted the incident to The Indian Express. “Following boarding, it suddenly started suffocating due to the air conditioning system’s malfunction. We were waiting for some time as the aircraft was taxiing towards the runway and were expecting that the AC would start soon, but it didn’t,” Javalge said.

As the aircraft continued taxiing, the temperature inside the cabin kept climbing. “The temperature rose significantly and within no time, passengers got completely drenched due to sweat. Even the cabin crew was suffering, but the pilots were preparing for take-off,” he said.

Matters worsened when the onboard blowers were switched on and supplied hot air. “There were pregnant women, children and elderly onboard who were suffering the most,” Javalge said.

Passengers force flight to abort takeoff

The situation came to a head when a pregnant woman on board felt unconscious. “A pregnant woman felt unconscious, children started crying, and then everyone protested that the flight should not be departed, after which the takeoff was cancelled. Around 150 passengers were on board the flight at the time,” Javalge said.

Following the protest, passengers were deboarded, and a technical team was called in to inspect the aircraft. “They told us that the issue would be resolved in 20 minutes. But we were waiting on the apron ground till around 2 am, and then the team informed us that there was a technical problem and the flight was cancelled,” Javalge said.

Passengers alleged that no food coupons or refreshments were arranged for them during the hours-long delay. They also claimed the cabin crew turned unhelpful when questioned. “Even the crew members were rude to us when we raised the issue. The most disturbing part was that flyers were suffocating, and still the captain was insisting on takeoff,” Javalge said.

Adding to the ordeal, passengers alleged that medical help for the pregnant woman was delayed even after deboarding. “Even after deboarding, there was no ambulance present to treat the pregnant woman. It took over 20 minutes for the ambulance to arrive,” Javalge said.

A replacement flight for the affected passengers eventually departed from New Delhi at 5 am on Wednesday and landed in Pune around 7.30 am, nearly 12 hours after passengers had first reported for the original flight.

‘Could have been another tragedy’

Drawing a parallel with the Baramati air tragedy that killed NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Javalge said the incident had left passengers shaken. “With the tragic crash at Baramati still haunting us, we could not imagine what would’ve happened if this had happened to us mid-air on that faulty plane,” he said.

He added that airlines needed to be held accountable for the upkeep of their fleet. “The airlines must pay attention to the upkeep of their aircraft and should thoroughly check them before every flight service. They can’t just play with passengers’ lives,” Javalge said.

Responding to the complaints, a SpiceJet spokesperson acknowledged the technical snag and the resulting delay. “On August 11, 2026, SpiceJet flight SG 105, scheduled to operate from Delhi to Pune, encountered a last-minute technical issue. An alternate aircraft was arranged, and the flight subsequently operated to Pune. SpiceJet deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to the passengers,” the spokesperson told The Indian Express.

This is not the only incident involving SpiceJet’s Pune services to draw criticism in recent days. In a separate case, passengers on a Pune-Delhi SpiceJet flight on August 5 complained that no food or beverages were served during the early morning journey.

Amir Shaikh, a Congress general secretary who was on the same flight, has complained to K C Venugopal, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture. The complaint flags what Shaikh has described as severe negligence, recurring flight delays, and violations of DGCA passenger guidelines by SpiceJet.