A SpiceJet flight from Ahmedabad to Srinagar was delayed by more than 12 hours on November 9, leaving about 189 passengers waiting inside Ahmedabad airport and prompting a disruption that required CISF personnel to help manage the situation. The SG 9634 flight was scheduled to depart at 8.40 am, but had still not taken off by the evening, according to a report by Gujarat Samachar – Ahmedabad.
Passengers said they had arrived at the airport between 5 am and 6 am, completed check-in and handed over their luggage before being told that the flight would be delayed by about an hour because of a technical issue. The expected departure time was then repeatedly extended by one or two hours, without passengers receiving a confirmed schedule for departure.
After waiting through the day, passengers protested inside the terminal during the afternoon and evening. CISF personnel were brought in as the situation became difficult to manage. The report said the airline began boarding passengers after about 7.30 pm and told them that the aircraft would take off by 8.30 pm. The report did not confirm whether the flight ultimately departed.
The extended delay also created problems for passengers who had checked in their luggage. Several travellers said medicines and other essential items were inside their bags, leaving them without access to those belongings during the wait. Families travelling with children were among those affected. Some passengers were also reported to have experienced health problems during the day.
Passengers alleged that the airline did not arrange tea, snacks or lunch despite the prolonged wait. One passenger said the flight was full and that many travellers were visiting Srinagar during the Diwali holiday period. Several families had reportedly booked tour packages costing between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000 per person, in addition to paying for hotels and sightseeing vehicles in advance.
The delay therefore affected more than the flight schedule. Travellers said the lost day could disrupt hotel reservations, local transport arrangements and the broader holiday itinerary, while also creating the possibility of financial losses. The report did not specify whether SpiceJet offered refunds, alternative travel arrangements or compensation to affected passengers.
Airport-linked sources cited in the report said the delay may have been connected to SpiceJet’s financial position and an issue involving payment for aviation fuel. The sources claimed that fuel may not have been made available because of an alleged pending payment to an oil company. However, this explanation had not been officially confirmed, and the report identified the technical issue as the reason communicated to passengers by the airline.
The incident highlights the operational consequences of prolonged uncertainty at an airport: passengers remain inside a terminal with checked baggage, limited access to essential medicines and no reliable departure information, while pre-booked travel arrangements continue to run. The immediate next step reported by the airline was boarding and a proposed 8.30 pm departure, although the final status of the flight was not confirmed in the supplied report.
