New Delhi: Several passengers aboard a Delhi-Pune SpiceJet flight on Tuesday, August 11, experienced extreme heat immediately after boarding, with children and elderly travellers reportedly having difficulty breathing.
According to people present on the flight, the temperature inside the cabin suddenly rose after passengers boarded. Leshpal Javalge, who was on the flight during the incident, alleged that the captain appeared to be in a hurry to take off despite the concerning condition of some passengers.
Videos circulating on social media show passengers on the SpiceJet flight SG 105 fanning a person who appeared to have fainted from the heat. “Gate kholne ko bol na! Phodega warna (Tell him to open the gate or else we will break it),” one person is heard shouting at the cabin crew members.
Another passenger requests an air hostess to let him outside “for just one minute.” The ruckus was intensified with the cabin crew unable to open the entry door. They tried explaining to the passengers that the ladder to get down from the flight was removed, making it unsafe to open the door.
When the people gathered near the entrance to open the door themselves, the cabin crew member could be heard saying, “You can’t do that,” while a passenger said, “People are dying, at least open the door partially.”
Speaking to news agency ANI, Leshpal said the flight was already delayed by nearly 35 minutes and that the SpiceJet team was uncooperative.
“There was no ventilation inside, we were facing difficulty breathing, and the AC wasn’t running,” said Leshpal, adding that he initially assumed it was a technical issue as he was not a regular flyer.
“The situation escalated to the point where our clothes were completely soaked with sweat; every passenger was in the same state. Children were crying, pregnant women were having difficulties,” he recounted the experience.
The passengers staged a protest at the tarmac, Leshpal said, alleging that the staff was not cooperating and “snapping back at us for causing a scene.”
He added that eventually, the airline’s technical team arrived to inspect the cause of the extreme heat.
“They confirmed ‘there is an issue, the plane cannot fly,’ and took us back inside,” Leshpal said. “They had taken us out to the runway, and we kept urging them to check the plane.”
The flight was later rescheduled from the original 9:55 pm to 5 am. “We finally departed at that time,” the passenger said.
SpiceJet spokesperson issued a statement on Wednesday, August 12, confirming the incident. “On August 11, 2026, SpiceJet flight SG 105, scheduled to operate from Delhi to Pune, encountered a last-minute technical issue. An alternate aircraft was arranged, and the flight subsequently operated to Pune. SpiceJet deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to the passengers.”
