SpiceJet Amritsar-Dubai Flight Delayed 18 Hours, Passengers Raise Concerns Over Hotel, Alternative Tickets

Passengers travelling from Amritsar to Dubai on a SpiceJet flight were left waiting for nearly 17 to 18 hours after the scheduled departure was repeatedly postponed, with travellers raising concerns over accommodation, alternative travel arrangements and the impact on their jobs and onward journeys.

The flight from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport was originally scheduled to depart at around 8 am. Passengers said the departure was later pushed to around 11 am before they were informed that the flight would now leave at around 2 am the following day.

Passengers alleged that they were not given a clear explanation for the prolonged delay and claimed that adequate assistance, including hotel accommodation and information about alternative tickets, was not provided.

Woman With Six-Year-Old Daughter Among Passengers

Anchal Sood, who travelled from Ludhiana to Amritsar with her six-year-old daughter, said she had reached the airport by taxi to board the Dubai-bound flight.

According to Sood, the flight was initially scheduled for around 8 am but was subsequently rescheduled to 11 am. She later received a message informing her that the departure had been pushed to around 2 am the next day.

The repeated changes left her and her daughter facing a wait of nearly 18 hours at the airport.

Sood said she contacted the airline's customer helpline to find out the reason for the delay and was allegedly told that the aircraft was facing a technical problem.

She questioned why passengers had not been informed earlier if the technical issue had reportedly been affecting the flight for several days.

"If there is a technical problem, why are passengers not informed in advance?" she asked, raising concerns about both passenger safety and the handling of the disruption.

Sood also questioned the lack of arrangements for passengers facing such a long delay.

She said she expected the airline to provide information about hotel accommodation, alternative tickets or other assistance but alleged that no clear arrangement was communicated to her.

Travelling with a young child, she said spending such a long period at the airport in the heat had made the situation particularly difficult.

Passenger Fears Missing Work In Dubai

Another passenger, Deepak Kumar, who was travelling from Phagwara to Dubai, said he had travelled around 250 kilometres to reach Amritsar airport.

Kumar said his flight was originally scheduled for 8.40 am. The departure was subsequently shifted to 11 am and later to around 2.30 am.

He said the uncertainty over the revised departure time had left passengers worried.

"We are very worried. We have been facing this SpiceJet problem for the past 15 days," Kumar said.

He was travelling to Dubai to join duty and said the delay could have serious consequences for his employment.

"Our duty is to join on time. We don't know what will happen," he said.

Asked whether he feared losing his job because of the delay, Kumar said, "Yes, our job is in danger."

He also said relatives had come to the airport to receive passengers and were themselves concerned by the uncertainty surrounding the flight.

Passengers Seek Hotel Accommodation

Passengers said they approached the airline seeking accommodation because the flight had been pushed to the early hours of the following day.

Kumar alleged that passengers asked the airline to arrange rooms or hotel accommodation but were told that nothing could be done.

Sood also claimed that despite the lengthy delay, she was not given clear information about hotel accommodation or an alternative flight.

She said customer service representatives allegedly directed her to approach the airport or another office for assistance.

Passengers questioned why they should have to make their own arrangements after reaching the airport on time for a flight that had subsequently been delayed for several hours.

Technical Issue Cited As Reason For Delay

According to Sood, the airline's helpline cited a technical problem with the aircraft as the reason for the delay.

Passengers, however, claimed they had been hearing about technical problems involving the flight over the past several days and questioned why they had not been alerted earlier about the possibility of a lengthy disruption.

For passengers, the concern went beyond inconvenience. Sood said that if an aircraft had a technical problem, passenger safety should be the airline's foremost priority.

Passengers said timely information would have allowed them to consider alternative travel arrangements rather than remaining at the airport for most of the day.

Long Wait Adds To Passenger Frustration

The prolonged delay has particularly affected passengers travelling with children, those who had travelled long distances to reach Amritsar and those with fixed work commitments in Dubai.

Passengers also expressed concern that the delay could disrupt connecting travel and other arrangements after their arrival in the UAE.

They have sought clarity from SpiceJet on the nature of the technical problem, the confirmed departure schedule and the assistance available to passengers affected by the extended delay.

The passengers are now awaiting further information from the airline on when the flight will depart and what arrangements will be made for those facing the overnight wait.