SpiceJet passengers walk on Delhi airport's tarmac after waiting for bus for 45 min
Spicejet, however, claimed that there was a slight delay in the arrival of the coaches, and once the buses arrived, everyone, even those who had begun to walk, boarded them to travel from the tarmac to the terminal building.
FollowMany passengers who disembarked from SpiceJet's Hyderabad-Delhi flight on Saturday night had to walk on the airport's tarmac because the airline could not provide a bus for around 45 minutes to take them to the terminal, according to the sources.Â
The incident is being investigated by the DGCA, according to sources who spoke to PTI on Sunday.
However, Spicejet stated that there was a brief delay in the arrival of coaches, and once the buses arrived, all passengers, including those who had begun walking, boarded them and travelled from the tarmac to the terminal building.
"Despite our staff's repeated requests, a few passengers began walking towards the terminal." When the coaches arrived, they had only walked a few steps. All passengers, including those who had begun walking, travelled the coaches to the terminal building.
Passengers are not permitted to walk on the tarmac at Delhi International Airport due to security concerns. On the tarmac, there is a clearly marked path for vehicles only. Accordingly, airlines use buses to transport passengers from the terminal to the aircraft or vice versa along the designated route.
SpiceJet is currently operating no more than 50 per cent of its flights following the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's orders (DGCA).
The regulator had imposed an eight-week ban on the airline's flights in July after its planes were involved in at least eight incidents of technical malfunction between June 19 and July 5.
According to sources, SpiceJet's Hyderabad-Delhi flight, which carried 186 passengers, arrived at its destination at around 11.24 pm on Saturday.
They claimed a bus arrived immediately and took some passengers to Terminal 3.
The remaining passengers waited for about 45 minutes, and when no bus arrived, they began walking towards the terminal, which was about 1.5 kilometres away, they added.
According to these passengers, after walking for approximately 11 minutes on the tarmac, a bus arrived at approximately 12.20 am to take them to the terminal.
When asked about the incident, SpiceJet issued the following statement: "The information that passengers on SpiceJet flight Hyderabad-Delhi on August 6 were forced to walk towards the terminal on foot is incorrect and is denied."
"There was a brief delay in the arrival of coaches to ferry passengers from the tarmac to the terminal building."
"Despite our staff's repeated requests, a few passengers began walking towards the terminal. When the coaches arrived, they had only walked a few steps. All passengers, including those who had begun walking, were transported to the terminal building by coaches," SpiceJet said.Â
(With inputs from PTI)
Also Read:Â SpiceJet clears all principal dues with Airports Authority of India
Also Read:Â Following multiple snags, DCGA orders SpiceJet to operate 50% flights for 8 weeks
Also Read:Â Can't prevent SpiceJet from operating based on a petition, rules Delhi court
