'Never Imagined I'd Be Lying Under A Plane': Actor Vijay Lakshmi Mallya Shares Bizarre Ordeal Lying On Tarmac After SpiceJet's Mumbai-Gorakhpur Flight Cancellation
· Free Press Journal
A SpiceJet passenger's unusual experience of being asked to deboard an aircraft after completing the boarding process has gone viral on social media. Actor Vijay Lakshmi Mallya shared videos from the tarmac at Mumbai airport after the airline cancelled its Mumbai-Gorakhpur flight on November 1, leaving passengers stranded following hours of delays.
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Actor Shares Video Lying On Tarmac
In an Instagram video, Mallya was seen lying on the tarmac as other passengers waited nearby. Expressing disbelief over the situation, she said, “Maine life mein kabhi aisa nahi socha tha ki main plane ke neeche aise leti rahungi” (I never imagined I would have to lie like this under an aircraft). The footage showed some passengers sitting on the ground while others stood around, waiting for the airline to resolve the disruption.
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The incident involved SpiceJet flight SG553, which had reportedly faced multiple delays during the day. Passengers were eventually allowed to board the aircraft and were briefed on safety procedures, giving them the impression that the flight was finally ready for departure. However, the aircraft remained grounded.
According to Mallya, passengers spent nearly an hour inside the aircraft before being informed that the flight had been cancelled. She said the airline cited operating-hour restrictions at the destination airport as the reason for the cancellation.
“All the crew members and the pilot left after announcing. Passengers were panicking; this was the situation. This is SpiceJet 335. This is insane and something against which a case should be filed,” she said in the video.
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Passengers Question Airline's Explanation
In another video recorded while deboarding, Mallya questioned why passengers had been allowed to complete the boarding process before being asked to leave the aircraft. “Ye meri life mein pehli baar ho raha hai ki boarding ke baad hum logon ko bataya ja raha hai ki flight khaali karo” (This is the first time in my life that I have been told to leave the aircraft after boarding), she said.
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She also questioned the explanation about airport operating restrictions, pointing out that she was from Gorakhpur and had travelled on late-night flights from the city on several occasions.
“Main khud Gorakhpur ki hoon aur maine bahut baar raat ko flight se travel kiya hai. Ye toh unprofessional hai, ye possible hi nahi hai, ye bahut galat hai” (I am from Gorakhpur myself and have travelled by flight at night many times. This is unprofessional, this is simply not possible, and this is very wrong), she said.
The videos captured passengers' frustration after hours of waiting, boarding and subsequently being asked to deboard without the aircraft taking off.
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The incident triggered criticism on social media, with users questioning the airline's handling of the disruption and its passenger services. SpiceJet later clarified that flight SG553, scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Gorakhpur on November 1, was cancelled due to operating-hour restrictions at Gorakhpur airport, which is a defence airport. The airline said its operating hours could not be extended beyond 9 pm.
In an official statement cited by The Indian Express, the airline said, “On November 01, 2026, SpiceJet flight SG553 scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Gorakhpur was cancelled due to watch hour restrictions at Gorakhpur.”
The airline said it had arranged an additional commercial flight on November 2 to transport the stranded passengers. It also expressed regret over the disruption and apologised for the inconvenience caused.
SpiceJet has faced scrutiny over other passenger-related disruptions in recent months. In a separate incident, a passenger travelling from Mumbai had described how he allegedly missed a SpiceJet flight despite reaching the airport two hours before its scheduled departure.