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More than 200 passengers on a Singapore-bound IndiGo flight were made to wait inside the aircraft for nearly five hours at Chennai airport on Tuesday, triggering protests and angry exchanges before the flight finally departed around noon.

Flight 6E1025, scheduled to leave at 7.30 am, began boarding at 6.30 am. However, passengers remained seated inside the aircraft long after the scheduled departure time. A video circulating on social media showed flyers confronting airline staff, alleging lack of clarity and poor communication.

Passengers complained that the cabin air-conditioning repeatedly switched on and off, making conditions uncomfortable, particularly for infants, elderly travellers and working professionals. Some claimed they were not allowed to deboard despite requesting to do so.

“There was no clear explanation and no transparent communication. The cabin air conditioning repeatedly switched on and off. Infants, children, elderly passengers and working professionals were on board. Passengers who requested to deboard due to discomfort were not permitted to do so for a considerable period,” a passenger wrote on social media.

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According to flyers, the pilot who had initially boarded left the aircraft due to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), and a replacement crew took over around 11 am. The flight eventually departed at 12 noon, nearly five hours after passengers had boarded.

Responding to the incident, IndiGo said the delay was caused after the pilot detected higher-than-normal cabin temperature and alerted the engineering team. The airline added that the cockpit crew had exceeded FDTL norms during the delay, requiring an alternate crew to be arranged.

“We had to arrange an alternate crew, which took time,” the airline said. Airline sources maintained that passengers were kept informed during the delay and were provided refreshments while waiting onboard.

The incident has once again raised questions about passenger handling during prolonged delays, particularly when travellers are already seated inside an aircraft.