Air Scare: SpiceJet flight’s windowpane dislodges inside!

Mumbai: A window frame of SpiceJet's aircraft SG-1080 operating its flight to Pune from Goa was found dislodged mid-air but there was no impact on passengers' safety, the airline said on Wednesday. There was no cabin depressurisation as the outer layers of the windowpane remained intact and passenger safety was not compromised, the airline said in a statement.

The frame was fixed once the aircraft landed at the Pune airport, in accordance with standard maintenance procedures, the airline said. Mandar Sawant, a passenger on the flight, said, “I was travelling back from Goa to Pune after attending an event. A woman was sitting behind me, and she was with a baby. Half an hour after takeoff, the window (close to her) just popped out. The woman got scared and it was damn concerning. There is a protective layer behind the window that protects us from the elements outside, and it was intact, but it is still concerning.”

He added, “The flight attendants tried to calm us down, but what else will they even do? They moved the woman and her child to a different seat behind. The stewardess did manage to somewhat get the window back on, but any sudden movement and it probably would have fallen off again.”

The flight, scheduled for 5.20 pm on Tuesday, departed an hour and a half late at 6.55 pm. “We got to know at the airport that the flight was delayed the previous day as well due to ‘technical issues’,” said Sawant, and that he did not get any message or update from the airline that the flight was delayed.

A SpiceJet spokesperson shared a statement that said, “A cosmetic window frame on one of SpiceJet Q400 aircraft became loose during flight and was found dislodged. It is important to note that this was a non-structural trim component, fitted onto the window for the purpose of shade, and did not compromise the safety or integrity of the aircraft in any way. Cabin pressurisation remained normal throughout the flight, and there was no impact on passenger safety.”

“The Q400 aircraft is equipped with multiple layers of windowpanes, including a robust, pressure-bearing outer pane, ensuring that passenger safety is never at risk, even in the unlikely event of a superficial or cosmetic component coming loose,” the spokesperson added.