Attempted ransomware attack delays SpiceJet flights

New Delhi: Several SpiceJet flights experienced delays at various airports this morning, as hundreds of passengers were stranded and had to wait for several hours. SpiceJet officials' citied an attempted ransomware attack for the delays.

The air carrier has since then announced that its IT team has "rectified the situation and flights are operating normally now" after a passenger took to twitter to say that they have been stuck for nearly four hours now, NDTV reported.

The tweet from SpiceJet read, "Certain SpiceJet systems faced an attempted ransomware attack last night that impacted and slowed down morning flight departures today. Our IT team has contained and rectified the situation and flights are operating normally now,"

But even after the statement, passengers said they were still stuck on the flight. Mudit Shejwar, a twitter user wrote, "Operating normally?? We are stuck here since 3 hrs and 45 mins? Neither cancelling nor operating, sitting in the flight not even the airport. No breakfast, no response!," while sharing a video shot inside the plane.

Several other passengers who were waiting in the flights for hours as flights failed to take off also slammed the airline on twitter for its substandard service.

"Extremely poor customer service by flyspicejet. My flight to Srinagar SG 473 scheduled at 6.25 AM from Delhi today is still at the airport. The Staff has no clue and poor excuse is 'server down' so cannot take printouts. Passengers are suffering."

A passenger Bagdogra airport in West Bengal who was travelling with a fractured leg shared a picture of the same and tweeted that they were still waiting for take-off.

Several other passengers took to Twitter to slam the airline for the shoddy service as flights across several parts of the country failed to take off. Some of them said they have been waiting in the airport.

A passenger waiting at West Bengal's shared a photograph of his fractured leg and said they are still waiting for the take-off. He wrote, "Hi @flyspicejet we were supposed to depart from IXB at 9 am today and there are still no updates from anyone. Worst part we boarded the flight and then this update came when the attack was last night and my wife is here with me with fractured leg waiting in vain".

Speculation has been made about whether the delays were a result of "non-payments". SpiceJet had failed to not make payments to Airport Authority of India (AAI), and were stopped from taking off from the Delhi airport few days ago by the Air Traffic Control.

SpiceJet has been put on "cash and carry" mode in 2020 by the AAI as it failed to clear its airport dues.