SpiceJet Flyer Travels From Mumbai to Bengaluru Inside Loo After Buying Ticket | Here's What Happened

A passenger on a Mumbai to Bengaluru SpiceJet flight was trapped inside the lavatory for the entirety of the journey due to an alleged malfunction in the door lock.

The incident which took place early on Tuesday, left the male passenger in complete shock. As soon as the flight landed at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), engineers broke open the lavatory door and got him out, a Times of India report said.

Sources at the Bengaluru airport said that this incident took place on Flight SG-268. Though the flight was scheduled to take off at 10:55 pm from Mumbai on Monday, it was delayed to depart at 2 am on Tuesday.

KIA’s ground staff said that the crew was aware that a passenger seated in 14D had gone to the loo when the seatbelts went off after takeoff. “Sadly, he got trapped inside as the toilet door malfunctioned,” the staff added.

In a panic, the passenger called out to the crew from inside the lavatory. The team then tried to open the door from outside but failed to do so. One of the air hostesses penned down a note on a piece of brown paper.

The note, which she slid under the lavatory door, to the passenger was quoted by ToI as, “Sir we tried our best to open the door, however, we could not. Do no panic. We are landing in a few minutes, so please close the commode lid and sit on it and secure yourself.”

NOTE WRITTEN BY CREW:

She added that as soon as the main door will open, engineers will come and get him out.

Another official at the Bengaluru airport empathised with the “poor man” who — from Mumbai — had to fly being trapped inside the lavatory and also land like that.

The flight landed in Bengaluru at 3:42 am, following which engineers came on board and broke open the door. Rescued after what was almost an two-hour long ordeal, the passenger was soon taken for first-aid.

The passenger was left “traumatised due to claustrophobia,” said the official.

SpiceJet later apologised to the passenger for the inconvenience caused and said that it will provide a full refund to him.

Giving the statement, a spokesperson of the airline said, “On 16 January, a passenger unfortunately got stuck inside the lavatory for about an hour on SpiceJet flight operating from Mumbai to Bengaluru, while the aircraft was airborne due to a malfunction in the door lock. “Throughout the journey, our crew provided assistance and guidance to the passenger. Upon arrival, an engineer opened the lavatory door, and the passenger received immediate medical support,” adding that the passenger is being provided a full refund.

This comes amid the surging number of delayed flights. The delay is being caused by adverse weather and foggy conditions.

Earlier, the dense fog conditions in Bengaluru, led to cancellation of eight flights and delay in 53 flights.