Passengers wait inside flight for over an hour without AC, SpiceJet says ‘experienced slight inefficiency’ during boarding

No-frills carrier SpiceJet on Wednesday said the air conditioning in its Delhi to Darbhanga flight ‘experienced slight inefficiency’ during boarding at Delhi Airport even as media reports suggested that passengers had to wait inside the aircraft for an hour without air-conditioning.

Some videos of passengers from inside the flight went viral on social media which showed people fanning themselves as the air-conditioning was reportedly turned off till the flight left for its destination.

The air-conditioning, however, kept working normally throughout the journey and the flight also departed on time, SpiceJet said.

“SpiceJet flight SG 476 from Delhi to Darbhanga on June 19, scheduled to depart at 11 am, departed on time without any delays. During the boarding in Delhi, the air conditioning initially experienced slight inefficiency due to extreme weather conditions and both doors of the aircraft being open, as boarding was not via the aerobridge,” the Gurugram-based domestic carrier said in a statement.

The airline’s statement came amid media reports that passengers of SpiceJet’s Darbhanga flight from Delhi had to wait inside the aircraft without air-conditioning for an hour.

The airline also claimed that the doors were promptly closed after the boarding was completed and the cooling functioned normally thereafter.

“The air conditioning was working normally throughout the flight, which was verified and cross-checked upon arrival in Darbhanga,” the statement said.

The same aircraft operated the return flight to Delhi, and there were no issues with the air conditioning on the return flight either, SpceJet said in the statement.