SpiceJet passengers have taken to Twitter to vent their frustration over delays caused by the ransomware attack.
Cyber Attack Delays Departures
SpiceJet has been receiving a stream of Twitter complaints, as passengers complain of their flights being stuck on the runway for hours on end. Some travellers have been stranded for up to four hours, with no food and no information on their situation.
The airline says the delays result from a ransomware attack carried out on Tuesday evening. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that blocks access to a computer until the victim pays the attacker a sum of money. A spokesperson told the Times of India that the attack on Tuesday had slowed down the departure of flights on Wednesday.
“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.”
The carrier Tweeted.
Passengers Vent Their Frustration on Twitter
Passengers stuck on the ground were quick to reply, taking issue with SpiceJet’s use of the phrase “operating normally”.
“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!”
Tweeted Mudit Shewar, a passenger travelling to Dharamshala. Another passenger appealed to Indian Minister for Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, for help:
“Extremely poor customer service by @flyspicejet. My flight to Srinagar SG 473 scheduled at 6.25AM from delhi today is still at the airport. Staff has no clue and poor excuse is server down so cannot take print outs. Passengers are suffering. @JM_Scindia @MoCA_GoI please help us..”
Some speculated that flights were grounded due to further non-payment issues between SpiceJet and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Last week, air traffic controllers in Delhi refused to let SpiceJet planes depart after the airline failed to pay its daily airport usage payment. The airline was put on “cash and carry” mode by AAI in 2020 due to its inability to pay airport dues.
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