Key Highlights:

  • Several SpiceJet flights were delayed or cancelled at Delhi's IGI Airport on Saturday due to operational disruptions.
  • Delhi Airport said its teams were coordinating with SpiceJet to assist affected passengers.
  • The disruption follows a September 15 protest by around 200 passengers over repeatedly rescheduled Dubai flights.
  • SpiceJet has been grappling with financial and operational issues that have grounded a large part of its fleet.
  • CCPA fined SpiceJet Rs 1 lakh in July for using "dark patterns" on its booking platform to auto-enrol users into promotions.

Another Round of Disruptions for SpiceJet

Several SpiceJet flights at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi were delayed or cancelled on Saturday due to operational disruptions, affecting scores of passengers travelling through the capital's main airport.

Airport Authorities Step In

The airport authorities advised affected passengers to contact the concerned airline for the latest flight updates or seek assistance from on-ground teams. "We regret the inconvenience faced by passengers due to the operational disruption of some SpiceJet flights. Delhi Airport teams are actively coordinating with the airline and relevant stakeholders to support affected passengers and provide necessary assistance," Delhi airport said in an advisory posted on X.

A Recent Pattern of Disruption

This latest disruption follows another incident on September 15, when about 200 SpiceJet passengers protested at the Delhi airport after flights to Dubai were repeatedly rescheduled and delayed. At the time, the airline had said alternate flights were being arranged after an aircraft was grounded, an explanation that points to the same underlying operational fragility now resurfacing with this latest round of delays and cancellations.

A Fleet Under Strain

SpiceJet has been grappling with financial and operational problems that have left a large part of its fleet grounded, a situation that has evidently continued to affect the airline's ability to maintain reliable flight schedules across its network, as reflected in these repeated disruptions occurring within just a few days of each other.

A Separate Regulatory Penalty

Adding to the airline's recent troubles, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) in July imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on SpiceJet Limited for adopting deceptive design practices, commonly known as "dark patterns," on its flight booking platform. The authority found that the airline had been automatically enrolling consumers into its loyalty programme and obtaining consent for promotional communications through pre-selected options, rather than requiring users to actively opt in.

How the Practice Violated Consumer Protection Rules

The order was passed after the authority found that the airline's online booking platform used interface designs that impaired consumer choice and violated provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The authority also found that users were deemed to have consented to receive promotional messages because the relevant option was selected by default, without requiring any affirmative action from consumers, a practice that regulators increasingly view as manipulative rather than a neutral design choice.

Part of a Broader Pattern of Flight Disruptions

Recently this month, several flight operations across Indian carriers have been disrupted due to weather and technical errors. On Sunday, an Air India aircraft (AI431) was diverted to Lucknow due to unfavourable weather and visibility conditions, an incident that, while unrelated to SpiceJet specifically, reflects a broader period of heightened operational disruption across Indian aviation in recent weeks, spanning both weather-related and airline-specific technical and financial challenges.