Cancelled SpiceJet flight to Pakyong left 40 stranded, passengers claim company didn't let them board another flight
Oct 10, 2021
New Delhi [India], October 10 : A SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Pakyong in Sikkim, cancelled due to bad weather, left nearly 40 passengers stranded at the airport on Saturday.
Passengers alleged that the airline company was not letting them board another flight and was not ready to accommodate.
One of the passengers of the flight was former Miss India and actress Pooja Chopra.
Talking to ANI she said, "I and other passengers were stranded at Delhi airport since morning, the airline company was not ready to accommodate us. SpiceJet officials did not even provide refreshments and accommodation to the stranded passengers."
Among them, one passenger was facing a family emergency and had to rush back to his native place for the loss of his family member.
"I lost my family member at my native place and I somehow booked an air ticket to be a part of the final rites but the flight got cancelled. The airline company is not providing another ticket for the next day and is asking for three times more money for it," the passenger said.
During a heated argument at the Delhi airport, a SpiceJet official told the passenger, "When the pilot of the plane is not going to Pakyong because of bad weather conditions at the Pakyong airport, how can the flight take off?"
"Are you a pilot, are you able to operate the flight?" the official asked.
However, SpiceJet dismissed the claims and said that passengers were offered a full refund or alternate flight option to Bagdogra for the next day or any other day of their choice.
"The visibility at Pakyong was less than minimum requirement so considering safe flight operations SpiceJet was forced to cancel the flight," the airline company said in a statement.