Over 100 Passengers Deplaned from Kathmandu-Bound SpiceJet at Delhi Airport; Airline Blames Glitch

Kathmandu-bound SpiceJet flight was delayed at Delhi Airport on Thursday morning after a technical problem forced more than 100 passengers to deboard. Flight SG41, which was scheduled to take off at 8:10 a.m., was first pushed back to 9:30 a.m. Passengers sat inside the plane for over an hour without air conditioning before the aircraft was returned to the parking bay.

'Plane Delayed Due to Technical Problem'

Later, the plane was brought back to its parking spot, where staff told passengers that a “technical issue” had caused the delay. People were then asked to leave the aircraft and wait inside a bus near the parking area, the journalist added. An airline spokesperson said the aircraft had experienced a technical problem, which resulted in the delay. The airline said it was working to fix the snag. More information is awaited.

Earlier cancellations of Kathmandu flights

This incident comes after SpiceJet had already cancelled all flights to and from Kathmandu for September 10 because of unrest in Nepal. In a post on social media platform X, the airline said it would update passengers through SMS or email on their registered contacts.

Death toll in Nepal’s Gen-Z protests

At least 31 demonstrators have died in clashes with police, and hundreds more have been injured in Kathmandu and nearby towns during protests led by young people against the government’s corruption and a ban on social media on Monday. On that day alone, 19 protesters lost their lives and around 500 were hurt during violence near the Federal Parliament and other places in Kathmandu, The Himalayan Times reported. The government removed the ban late last night after the clashes, but only hours later crowds gathered again in Kathmandu accusing officials of corruption and restarting their protest.