Flyers spend 2 hours sitting in snag-hit Goa-Pune plane

PUNE: Over 150 flyers on board a SpiceJet flight from Goa to Pune had to spend about two hours sitting in the aircraft after it developed a technical snag while taxiing towards the runway on Friday.
The flight (SG-526) was to take off from Goa at 1.40pm and arrive in Pune at 2.40pm. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, was fully booked. It finally took off from Goa after 3.30pm.
Vineet Singh, travelling to Pune in the flight, told TOI that the boarding was done on time. "The plane started taxiing but stopped before reaching the runway. After being there for a while, the aircraft turned back to one of the parking bays. The cabin crew told us that there was a minor technical glitch," he said.
The spokesperson of the airline was contacted, and a message was sent for a statement on the flight's delay. A reminder message was sent late in the late afternoon, but a response was awaited till going to press.
Singh said the crew kept on stating that it was a minor technical fault and engineers were trying to fix it. "From 1.30pm until around 3.25pm, we were seated in the aircraft waiting for the take-off.
For some unknown reasons, the crew didn't let us get out of the aircraft. Whenever some passenger asked about the issue, the cabin crew said it was a minor technical fault," he said.
"If we were taken back to the airport, things would have been easier for us. Sitting in the aircraft for such a long time was a hassle and frustrating. The flight finally took off at 3.35pm and landed in Pune at 4.15pm. It was a relief that the flight was safe," the flyer said.
Another SpiceJet flight from Pune to Delhi got delayed by around eight hours on Tuesday, frustrating several passengers, including senior citizens.
On October 13, a SpiceJet flight operating from Goa to Hyderabad made an emergency landing at its destination following smoke in the aircraft. The aircraft, a Q400 (VT-SQB), landed safely and passengers disembarked on the taxiway through the emergency exit. One passenger sustained minor scratches on feet while disembarking.