WATCH: 'Duty time is over', pilot refuses to take off with passengers on board

IndiGo flight delayed 5 hours as pilot cites duty hour completion, frustrating passengers.

A recent incident in India saw an IndiGo flight delayed by five hours when the pilot refused to take off at the last moment.

According to media reports, the pilot cited the completion of duty hours as the reason for refusing to fly the packed aircraft, which led to the significant delay for the flight from Pune to Bengaluru. This incident has sparked a storm on social media.

As reported by indian media, the flight, which was scheduled to depart at 12:45 PM, finally took off at 5:44 AM and landed in Bengaluru at 6:49 AM.

A video shared by a user on X captured the confrontation between the crew and passengers, stating that IndiGo’s flight from Pune to Bengaluru was delayed for five hours after the pilot refused to take off due to duty hour regulations.

Passengers reported that they were not provided breakfast or any compensation, and customer service was completely disregarded.

The video shows passengers inside the flight pleading and arguing with a female cabin crew member as she explained that the pilot would not take off. It also captures moments when passengers called out for the pilot and demanded answers, only to see the cockpit door closed.