“I never thought I would have to sleep under a plane,” a passenger said after a SpiceJet flight from Mumbai to Gorakhpur was cancelled, leaving travellers stranded at the airport. SpiceJet flight SG553 was cancelled on 1 November after repeated delays. Passengers said they had boarded the aircraft, completed the safety briefing and waited for nearly an hour before being asked to deboard. Videos shared on social media showed passengers lying near the aircraft at Mumbai airport, with children also seen amid the disruption. SpiceJet said the flight was cancelled because Gorakhpur airport could not operate beyond 9 pm. The airline apologised and arranged another flight for the stranded passengers on 2 November. The incident comes as DGCA data showed that only 16.6% of SpiceJet flights were on time at 10 major airports in September 2026. IndiGo recorded the highest on-time performance among domestic airlines during the same month, at 91.1%. SpiceJet also reported a 20.29% flight cancellation rate in September, compared with the industry average of 1.15%. A DGCA advisory states that airlines should provide drinking water during delays of up to two hours. For delays between two and four hours, passengers should be offered tea or coffee along with snacks or refreshments. For delays exceeding four hours, airlines should provide meals.