SpiceJet Crashlands: Passengers Suffer

SpiceJet Crashlands: Passengers Suffer

HYDERABAD:  While troubled airline SpiceJet is struggling to stay afloat, passengers who booked tickets are left high and dry what with the private carrier cancelling several of its flights from Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Of the 33 SpiceJet flights which take off from Hyderabad every day, only three flights were operational and more than 25 were cancelled on Tuesday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. The abrupt cancellations came as a rude shock to the passengers, who were forced to change their plans and book tickets at a higher rate on other airlines.

What has irked the passengers most was the utter negligence on the part of SpiceJet officials to keep them informed about the status of their flights. “I had a flight at 6.30 pm to Delhi but they cancelled it. I reached the airport and figured it out later. Why can’t they inform us about cancellation of the flight,” fumed Neelam Raturi, an aggrieved passenger. Gaurav Thadani, another passenger, had a similar experience. “The airline staff do not have any status of the flights. It’s a despicable behaviour,” he lambasted. “I don’t ever want to be in a situation where I’m clueless about the status of my flight until I board it,” Thadani added. When contacted, a SpiceJet spokesperson said, “There was an operational issue but it has been resolved and we will soon start functioning soon.”  Meanwhile, other airlines are trying to make the most of SpiceJet flight cancellations. “We are certainly expecting an increase in our bookings but it’s too early to predict the impact this will have on the industry. Our number of passengers has certainly increased,” said an official of a rival airline.

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The New Indian Express
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