NEW DELHI : Two SpiceJet flights bound for Dubai were hit by major delays after an aircraft was grounded due to operational issues, leaving scores of passengers stranded at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Flight SG 5111, which was originally scheduled to depart at 7:45 am on Monday, was repeatedly rescheduled — first to Monday evening and later to 9 am on Tuesday. However, the flight had still not departed at the time of reporting, while flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 showed its status as “cancelled”.

Another Delhi-Dubai service, SG 5105, was scheduled to leave at 6:45 pm on Monday but was subsequently pushed back to 12 noon on Tuesday. Passengers said they had received no fresh information from the airline regarding the revised departure.

The prolonged wait and uncertainty triggered frustration among travellers, with several passengers gathering inside the terminal to protest and demand answers from the airline.

Videos from the airport showed passengers sitting on the floor as they waited for updates about their flights. Delhi Airport authorities were meanwhile assisting stranded travellers and arranging food and refreshments, according to reports.

SpiceJet attributed the disruption to operational reasons following the grounding of one of its aircraft.

“SpiceJet flights SG 5111 and SG 5105, operating from Delhi to Dubai, have been delayed due to operational reasons following the grounding of an aircraft,” the airline said in a statement.

The carrier said alternate flights were being arranged to accommodate affected passengers and apologised for the inconvenience.

“Alternate flights are being arranged to accommodate the affected passengers, and the airline is making every effort to minimise the inconvenience caused,” SpiceJet said.

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