- DGCA launches probe amid growing concerns over SpiceJet’s safety standards
- Social media erupts as passengers share footage, question airline’s airworthiness
- Cabin crew relocate mother and child; airline claims no threat to passenger safety
Pune: A SpiceJet Goa-Pune flight in India turned into a scary incident after a window frame in an aircraft cabin came loose mid-air, leading to fear of a disaster among passengers. Images of the SpiceJet flight SG-1080 on social media are going viral, and a video of the panic-making episode has made millions of people question the maintenance standards of the airliner. No passenger was hurt in the scary incident; however, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an inquiry into what happened.
The Q400 flight was in mid-air when the frame of a window suddenly came loose, shocking many passengers on board. A passenger, Mandar Sawant, told the media about the stressful moments of the event. He said the loose window was next to a woman sitting with her small baby behind him, and it was about 30 minutes after takeoff. The woman was terrified, and it was nerve-wracking for people seated near her. The crew acted swiftly and moved the mother and her baby to another seat. Attempts to fix the loose frame on the plane did not work, and it remained loose until it landed safely in Pune.
SpiceJet issued a statement that sought to downplay the issue. The statement assured that passengers were never in danger, maintained cabin pressure throughout the flight, and addressed the window frame issue after landing. However, the incident raised eyebrows because SpiceJet has been facing issues with the maintenance of its Q400 planes, which have already been put under the DGCA radar in many different ways.
Mid-air scare on SpiceJet flight SG‑1080 from Goa to Pune!
On Tuesday, passengers were left shocked as an inner window frame suddenly came loose mid-flight.
However SpiceJet claimed it was just a non-structural trim, insisting there was no safety risk.pic.twitter.com/2t3hbZoiEJ
— Pune City Life (@PuneCityLife) July 2, 2025
There has also been an uproar on social media platforms, where many netizens have posted alarm warnings about what the company considers safe in its procedures. One of them (an X user) posted a video of the loose frame, which could have been disastrous. Some of them have also asked for greater oversight of the low-cost airlines in India.
India’s DGCA, the aviation regulator, has not issued a formal statement on the incident but said it had launched an independent investigation to find out the cause of the problem and whether SpiceJet maintenance procedures meet set requirements. This event contributes to the airline’s ongoing crisis, which has been marked by financial issues and aircraft malfunctions in recent years.
For passengers like Sawant, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of conducting safety checks. Both the aviation industry and travellers are anxiously waiting for answers regarding the incident as the investigation unfolds, hoping to prevent similar episodes in the future.