Passengers at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport had a rough time on Thursday after SpiceJet suddenly cancelled three flights from Terminal 1 at the last minute, leaving many people stranded and frustrated.

The cancelled flights included SG 631 (Mumbai–Delhi), SG 553 (Mumbai–Gorakhpur), and SG 669 (Mumbai–Bengaluru). Passengers had to stand in long lines at help desks, faced confusion over refunds and rescheduling and received very little clear information from airline staff, according to a report by The Indian Express.

Watch video from the airport-

ALSO READ

What is the reason behind delay?

SpiceJet, in its statement accessed by IE, said the cancellations happened due to “operational reasons.” These included an aircraft being grounded and bad weather at Bagdogra, which affected the movement of planes. 

The airline also said that delays caused crew members to exceed their allowed working hours (FDTL), so they could not continue flying, the report mentioned.

The airline added that it is arranging extra flights to help affected passengers and apologised for the inconvenience caused.

SpiceJet has issued multiple weather alerts for Kolkata, Bagdogra, Varanasi, and Leh over the last 24 hours, yet they have not officially confirmed any flight cancellations despite the warnings.

‘These aircrafts should be banned’: Passengers express frustration

Many travellers also took to social media to express their frustration. One user named Shivangi Pathak wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “What the hell is wrong with SpiceJet flights! Been waiting at Mumbai T1 airport since yesterday midnight and the flight keeps on being delayed!! Why can’t these people understand punctuality and the value of people’s money and time!! Disgusting behaviour and hospitality! 9 hours!”

Another traveler with a username of Kirti Kandelwal claimed on X that families with children were left without food or water despite delays exceeding seven hours. “Don’t trust @flyspicejet. They are pathetic. No food and water served after 7 hrs of delay. Our children are hungry. These aircrafts should be banned and burned by government,” she wrote.

The situation worsened because earlier delays and flight diversions disrupted the schedule. This meant aircraft and crew were not available on time, which eventually led to cancellations. These decisions were taken after long delays, making things more difficult for passengers already waiting, the IE reported.

Apart from the cancellations, two SpiceJet flights between Mumbai and Ahmedabad were also delayed. These delays were linked to earlier weather-related issues in cities like Varanasi and Bagdogra, which caused the flights to depart late, according to the FlightRadar24.