Over 200 passengers travelling on IndiGo flight 6E 1025 from Chennai to Singapore experienced a delay exceeding four hours on February 24, remaining inside the aircraft throughout the hold-up.
The flight, scheduled to depart from Chennai International Airport at 7:20 am, eventually took off at 11:39 am — roughly four hours and 19 minutes behind schedule.
Videos shared online showed irritated travellers questioning airline staff as the delay extended. Many complained that they were not allowed to disembark and had to stay seated inside the plane during the entire period.
Several passengers described the situation as uncomfortable, especially given the length of time spent inside the cabin rather than waiting in the terminal.
According to sources, the disruption began with a technical issue involving the aircraft’s air-conditioning system. With high temperatures in Chennai, the cooling system was reportedly not functioning at optimal levels, prompting engineers to inspect and resolve the problem before departure.
Although the technical snag was addressed, a second complication soon arose related to Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) regulations. These safety rules cap the number of hours pilots and cabin crew can operate to prevent fatigue.
By the time the aircraft was cleared technically, the original crew risked exceeding permissible duty hours if they proceeded with the international leg to Singapore. As a result, the airline had to arrange a fresh set of pilots and crew.
Because the flight was headed to Singapore, replacement crew members required appropriate visa clearances before operating the sector. Completing the necessary documentation contributed further to the delay.
Officials indicated that once passengers had completed immigration checks for an international departure, allowing them to disembark would have complicated procedures. Reversing exit formalities and reprocessing travellers could have prolonged the disruption even more.
Consequently, authorities opted to keep passengers onboard rather than restart immigration protocols.
Travellers later took to social media to express dissatisfaction, alleging that updates regarding the evolving technical and crew-related issues were insufficient.
While the flight eventually departed safely, the episode has sparked discussion about passenger management during extended delays, particularly when travellers are confined inside aircraft cabins for long periods.
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