SpiceJet has denied reports in a section of the media that there was a fire in its aircraft bound for Hyderabad from Mangaluru International Airport at 8.50 a.m. on Wednesday. The reports had suggested that the plane had to return from the runway to the parking bay.
The official spokesperson of the airlines, in a release on Thursday, said: “The news reports are factually incorrect, baseless and defamatory. Nothing of this sort happened. No fire brigade was called to the spot, as stated by some news reports, nor was any emergency declared.”
“It is really unfortunate that some news organisations have tried to sensationalise and twist the incident and create a safety scare,” the release said. “After pushback, a technical issue was noticed in the aircraft SG 1007, IXE-HYD and as a precautionary measure the aircraft went back to the bay on March 14.”
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The spokesperson said all the passengers were deplaned safely after the issue was noticed and offered alternative flights for Hyderabad, which included a flight via Mumbai, a flight via Bengaluru, an evening direct flight, and a flight on the next day. A few passengers who did not want to travel were offered full refund, the spokesman said, adding that the aircraft was parked in the airport and was in perfectly normal condition.