Journalism of Courage
SpiceJet Pune-Dubai flight delayed over 4 hours, flyers complain of poor communication
SG-51 was scheduled to depart from Pune at 9 pm and arrive in Dubai at 10.55 pm.
According to aircraft-tracking platform Flightradar24, the flight eventually took off from Pune at around 1.23 am and landed in Dubai at approximately 2.30 am. (File photo)
Several passengers were stranded at Pune airport after SpiceJet’s Pune-Dubai flight, SG-51, scheduled to depart on Tuesday evening, was delayed by more than four hours. The latest disruption comes amid a pattern of repeated delays involving SpiceJet flights on the Pune sector, with at least eight flights disrupted since the last week of July.
SG-51 was scheduled to depart from Pune at 9 pm and arrive in Dubai at 10.55 pm. According to aircraft-tracking platform Flightradar24, the flight eventually took off from Pune at around 1.23 am and landed in Dubai at approximately 2.30 am.
A passenger took to X to flag the lack of communication from the airline during the delay. “SG-51 Pune-Dubai was scheduled for 9:00 pm. Passengers were waiting with no proper announcement, no clear update and no SpiceJet representative at the gate. Passengers were left completely in the dark,” the passenger said, adding, “Forget food or water, the airline should at least communicate!”
The Indian Express contacted SpiceJet multiple times seeking a response on the reason for the delay. The airline had not responded till the time of publication.
Aviation expert Dhairyashil Vandekar in an earlier conversation said such delays go well beyond passenger discomfort, as they can affect onward travel and other commitments. “Delays, especially long delays, disrupt passengers’ schedules, onward travel and business or personal commitments. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) monthly on-time performance (OTP) data has also shown SpiceJet recording lower punctuality than several major airlines through 2026.”
“The recurring pattern merits examination of the underlying operational factors rather than assumptions about individual flights. Aircraft rotation, crew availability, technical constraints and network scheduling can all contribute to delays, but the specific cause should be established from the airline’s operational records,” Vandekar added.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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