Multiple SpiceJet flights delayed at Bengaluru airport, passengers face hours of waiting

Multiple SpiceJet flights departing from Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru were delayed on October 21 and 22, leaving passengers waiting for several hours beyond their scheduled departure time.

Three domestic services connecting Bengaluru with Kolkata and Mumbai were affected, with delays extending into the early hours of the following day. The disruptions involved two Kolkata-bound flights and one Mumbai-bound service.

According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, SpiceJet flight SG-158, scheduled to depart Bengaluru for Kolkata at 6.30 pm on October 21, took off at 10.37 pm, more than four hours behind schedule.

Another Kolkata-bound service, flight SG-647, was scheduled to depart Bengaluru at 7.35 pm on October 21. However, it eventually took off at 1.45 am on October 22. Originally expected to arrive in Kolkata at 10.25 pm on October 21, the flight landed at 3.55 am on October 22.

The disruption also affected passengers travelling to Mumbai. SpiceJet flight SG-633, scheduled to depart Bengaluru at 11.40 pm on October 22, took off at 5.09 am on October 23.

The delays resulted in extended waiting periods for passengers at the airport.

Complaint by passenger at Kolkata airport

On October 22, an X user Abhishek shared a video purportedly showing passengers expressing their frustration with SpiceJet staff at Kolkata airport over a delayed flight.

In his post, Abhishek wrote: “Scenes from Kolkata Airport now: @SpiceJet flight from Kolkata to Bangalore scheduled at 8:15 am hasn’t taken off yet since SpiceJet hasn’t made payment for fuel and there is no clearance, also they don’t have staff to scan boarding pass. No accountability at all.”

The airline has not publicly specified the operational, technical or aircraft-rotation issues, if any, that led to the delays. The Hindu contacted SpiceJet seeking an official response on the reasons for the disruptions and the measures taken to assist affected passengers. However, the airline had not responded at the time of publication.

This report will be updated if and when a response is received from SpiceJet.