IndiGo passengers left in darkness after power failure delays Vadodara-Delhi flight

Passengers aboard an IndiGo flight from Vadodara to Delhi were left sitting in darkness without air conditioning for around half an hour after a malfunction in the ground power unit (GPU) disrupted the aircraft’s power supply before take-off, according to airport sources.

The incident took place on Sunday night on IndiGo flight 6E 657, which had been scheduled to depart from Vadodara at 8.40 pm.

Airport officials said the aircraft was connected to a GPU while parked at the gate when the equipment suddenly failed, cutting off electricity supply to the cabin.

Engineers reportedly took around 12 to 15 minutes to repair the fault, with another 15 minutes required to fully restore power to the aircraft.

During that period, passengers were left without cabin lighting or air conditioning.

“There was complete darkness inside the cabin and passengers were sweating heavily because the AC was not functioning,” an airport official said.

The flight was carrying approximately 160 passengers at the time of the incident.

In a statement issued late on Monday night, IndiGo confirmed that the flight had been delayed due to a technical issue.

“IndiGo flight 6E 657 operating from Vadodara to Delhi on May 17 was delayed due to a technical snag. The issue was promptly resolved, and the aircraft proceeded to its destination soon thereafter,” the airline said.

A ground power unit is used to provide electrical power to an aircraft while it is stationed at the gate, allowing systems such as cabin lights, avionics and air conditioning to operate without using the aircraft’s engines.

According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, the flight eventually departed at around 10 pm, nearly 80 minutes behind schedule.

With PTI inputs