Major Flight Disruption at Pune Airport
Early Thursday morning, passengers aboard IndiGo flight 6E 6763 from Pune to Delhi experienced significant frustration as their journey was delayed by more than three hours. The flight, which was scheduled to depart at 05:05 am, finally took off at 8:17 am, according to flight tracking data from Flight Radar 24.
Passenger Outrage and Viral Incident
The extended delay led to heated confrontations between passengers and airline staff, with one incident captured on video and circulating widely on social media platforms. The footage showed a distressed passenger loudly complaining to IndiGo representatives about the inconvenience caused by the lengthy wait.
Yogesh Pande, a Pune-based lawyer traveling on the affected flight in seat 5E, provided detailed insights into the chaotic situation. "The flight was three hours late and it was very troublesome for the passengers," Pande told The Indian Express. "The flight was supposed to take off at 5am and finally took off at 8am and reached Delhi after 10am."
Pande described additional complications that exacerbated passenger frustration. "The gate was changed twice before boarding. We were boarded on the flight at 7am and made to sit for an hour inside before it finally took off."
Multiple Flights Affected
The disruption wasn't isolated to the Pune-Delhi route. Pande confirmed that another IndiGo flight to Ahmedabad also experienced significant delays, indicating broader operational issues at Pune International Airport that morning.
The lawyer expressed particular concern about the airline's handling of the situation. "They were giving us stories when we were in the flight. So, I asked them if we should get down and push the plane. This is not expected when we are paying such a huge amount of Rs 8000-9000 for a flight."
Among the distressed passengers was a woman dealing with a family tragedy. "A lady's mother had passed away, so she was very furious and she created a ruckus," Pande recounted, highlighting the emotional toll the delay took on travelers with urgent needs.
Airline Response and Social Media Reaction
IndiGo officially responded to the situation through social media platform X after Pande posted about the delay at 5:03 am. The airline's official account stated: "Hi! We regret the delay to your flight. As checked, the delay is due to operational reasons, and the revised departure time is now 0715 hrs. We are informing our airport team to ensure all possible assistance and look forward to serving you better in the future."
However, the revised departure time mentioned in the response proved inaccurate, as the flight ultimately departed more than an hour later than the airline's updated estimate. The incident has sparked discussions about passenger rights and airline accountability during flight disruptions.
