‘Zero food, zero water’: Passengers stranded overnight at Pune airport after SpiceJet delays Pune-Dubai flight by 9 hours
While travellers slammed the airline for gross negligence, SpiceJet maintained that an initial delay had been communicated well in advance.
A SpiceJet flight (File photo for representative use). A SpiceJet flight from Pune to Dubai left several passengers stranded at the Pune airport for over nine hours on the night of June 1-2, with travellers alleging a near-total breakdown in communication from the airline and no arrangements for food or water through the night.
Flight SG 51, originally scheduled to depart at 8.50 pm on June 1, did not take off until approximately 6.15 am on June 2, a delay of more than nine hours.
SpiceJet, however, maintained that passengers had been informed of an initial delay well in advance and a last-minute maintenance requirement further delayed the flight.
Among those affected was Ankit Mishra, who was headed to Dubai for urgent work. He said he only learned of the delay after reaching the airport, and that the airline provided no prior notice.
“My Pune-Dubai flight (SG 51) was originally scheduled for around 9:00 pm, then rescheduled to 1:00 am on June 2 without any notification, email, SMS, or call. After waiting for hours at the airport, it was delayed again to 5:00 am,” Mishra wrote on X.
He added, “I had urgent work in Dubai, but the airline’s complete lack of communication and disregard for passengers’ time is shocking. Making passengers wait all night without even informing them is extremely careless and unprofessional.”
Confusion among passengers deepened as the night wore on. Ground staff reportedly gave conflicting reasons for the delay – some passengers were told there was a problem at Dubai airport, while others were informed that the incoming aircraft from Delhi had been held up. Around 1 am, travellers were told the departure had been pushed further to 5 am. The flight eventually departed at around 6.15 am.
Rohit, another passenger, described the experience as a failure of basic passenger care. “SpiceJet’s Pune to Dubai flight was delayed by over 9 hours with zero food, water, zero compensation, zero communication. Passengers, including kids and the elderly, were left stranded without basic human support. This is gross negligence… DGCA and SpiceJet need to answer this,” he said.
A SpiceJet spokesperson told The Indian Express, “SpiceJet flight SG 51 dated 1st of June 2026 scheduled to operate from Pune to Dubai was initially delayed due to an operational issue in its previous rotation. Passengers were informed about the delay in the morning itself so they could plan their travel to the airport accordingly. Further, a last-minute maintenance requirement further delayed the flight. Inconvenience caused to the passengers is deeply regretted.”
Share
