SpiceJet Passenger Gets Refund After 1-Hour Ordeal In Toilet On Mumbai-Bengaluru Flight

A SpiceJet passenger found himself locked in the lavatory of a Mumbai-Bengaluru flight after the door became jammed. After landing at Bengaluru airport, an engineer was called in to unlock the door.

SpiceJet opted to provide a full refund to the passenger.

Source : Representational Image/Getty

A SpiceJet passenger was stuck inside the lavatory of the plane for about an hour on Tuesday after the door lock malfunctioned during a flight from Mumbai to Bengaluru. The airline's crew offered assistance and guidance throughout the ordeal in the air. In light of the passenger's harrowing experience, SpiceJet promised to provide a full refund. 

Upon reaching Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), engineers were called in to address the situation by breaking open the lavatory door. The passenger, visibly in shock, was provided immediate medical attention upon his release.

A SpiceJet spokesperson issued a statement, acknowledging the "unfortunate" incident, "On January 16, 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."

The incident unfolded during SpiceJet flight SG-268, which departed from Mumbai airport at 2 AM, reported by The Times Of India. After takeoff, the passenger, who had entered the lavatory once the seat belt signs were turned off, found himself locked in. After raising an alarm, a note was slipped in through a gap under the door by a crew member, conveying the crew's attempts to open the door. The crew advised the passenger to secure himself on the commode, promising an engineer's assistance upon landing.

“Sir we tried our best to open the door, however, we could not. Do not panic. We are landing in a few minutes, so please close the commode lid and sit on it and secure yourself. As soon as the main door is open, engineer will come”, the note, a picture of which is being widely shared, read. 

The note from the crew to the passenger locked on #Spicejet flight. #Avgeek #Aviation pic.twitter.com/pPrvXq8mJm

— Aman Gulati 🇮🇳 (@iam_amangulati) January 17, 2024

Despite the crew's efforts, the lavatory door remained inaccessible from the outside as well. The passenger's distressed calls alerted the crew, and, upon landing, engineers at KIA broke the locks to free him from the confined space.

"The poor man flew from Mumbai to Bengaluru trapped inside a tiny lavatory," a Bengaluru airport official was quoted as saying by TOI.