Around 160 passengers aboard an IndiGo flight from Vadodara to Delhi were left sitting in darkness and without air conditioning for nearly 30 minutes on Sunday night after a malfunction in the ground power unit (GPU) disrupted electricity supply to the aircraft, sources said.
The IndiGo flight 6E 657, scheduled to depart from Vadodara at 8.40 pm, was receiving power from the GPU while stationed at the gate when the equipment developed a fault, an airport official said.
Engineers took around 12–15 minutes to rectify the glitch, while power supply to the aircraft was restored after another 15 minutes, the official added.
"During these 30 minutes, there was complete darkness in the cabin, and with the AC also not functioning, the passengers were sweating badly," the official said.
There were around 160 passengers on board the Delhi-bound aircraft, the official added.
In a late-night statement on Monday, IndiGo said, "IndiGo flight 6E 657 operating from Vadodara to Delhi on May 17 was delayed due to a technical snag. The issue was promptly resolved, and the aircraft proceeded to its destination soon thereafter."
A GPU is equipment connected to an aircraft while parked at the gate, supplying electrical power to operate systems such as lights, avionics and air conditioning without requiring the aircraft’s engines or onboard generator.
According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, the flight, scheduled to depart at 8.40 pm, eventually took off at 10 pm after a delay of 1 hour and 20 minutes.
(With inputs from PTI)
