Delayed Flight Leads To Flyers Stranded for 4 Hours, Dubai Bound Passengers Order Food via Apps at Pune Airport
Delayed Flight Leads To Flyers Stranded for 4 Hours, Dubai Bound Passengers Order Food via Apps at Pune Airport
Pune: Passengers of a four-hour delayed SpiceJet flight to Dubai resorted to ordering dinner through food delivery apps on Wednesday night after the airline provided only a cup of tea.
@CNBC @CNBC_Awaaz @flyspicejet @IndiGo6E #avoidspicejet
— manoj kochar (@KocharManoj) June 12, 2024
Pune to dubai spice jet flight is late more than 4 hour.
International gates no food available at pune airport only one small counter with very few options of snack like sandwich vadapav.
Spicejet can't even arrange food
The flight (SG-51) was scheduled to depart for Dubai at 8:50 PM on Wednesday but did not take off until 1:15 AM on Thursday. One passenger recounted that the airline staff set up a flask of tea and cups for self-service, but no other refreshments were offered despite the lengthy delay.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s guidelines, airlines are required to serve refreshments if a flight is delayed by more than two hours. The Times of India contacted SpiceJet for comments on the situation but had not received a response by the time of publication.
Faced with limited food options in the international lounge, some passengers approached the ground staff to see if they could receive food deliveries from outside. A few employees agreed to assist, fetching orders from the departure area to the lounge.
One passenger shared his experience: “I ordered a thaali from a restaurant via Magicpin. Once it arrived, I informed the airline’s ground staff, and one of them brought the food to me from the departure area. Several other passengers also ordered food via Zomato.”
Passengers questioned the lack of refreshments provided by the airline and the limited food options in the international waiting area of the Pune airport. They noted that other major airports in India have proper restaurants and food courts.
In response to the concerns, Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke mentioned that the contract for the master concessionaire for the new terminal building has been awarded, and plans include a total of 20 food and beverage outlets in both domestic and international security hold areas. Additionally, two of the five planned lounges will be in the international area.
A frequent flyer to Dubai expressed frustration with the frequent delays of the SpiceJet flight and mentioned that many passengers prefer traveling to Mumbai to catch a flight to Dubai.
Passengers have long criticized Pune airport for its lack of proper food and beverage outlets. One frequent flyer remarked, “There was a proper food court in the airport until 2019, but since then, no proper outlets have come up. AeroMall has a food court, but similar arrangements should be available inside the terminal building.”
The situation underscores the need for improved amenities at Pune airport and more reliable service from airlines to ensure passenger comfort and satisfaction.
