SpiceJet staff assaulted by Army officer at Srinagar airport

An unruly passenger grievously assaulted four SpiceJet employees at the boarding gate of flight SG-386 from Srinagar to Delhi on July 26, 2025.

In a statement released on Sunday, budget carrier SpiceJet said its staff members suffered a "spinal fracture" and "serious jaw injuries" after being attacked with punches, repeated kicks and a queue stand.

One SpiceJet employee collapsed unconscious on the floor but the passenger continued kicking and hitting the fainted employee, the low-cost airline said.

Another staff member suffered bleeding from the nose and mouth after receiving a forceful kick to the jaw while bending down to assist the colleague who had fainted, the statement said. The injured employees were rushed to the hospital and remain under treatment for the grievous injuries sustained, it added.

SpiceJet said the accused passenger, a senior Army officer, was carrying two pieces of cabin baggage weighing a total of 16 kg, more than double the permitted limit of 7 kg.

“When politely informed of the excess baggage and asked to pay the applicable charges, the passenger refused and forcefully entered the aerobridge without completing the boarding process – a clear violation of aviation security protocols. He was escorted back to the gate by a CISF official,” said the airline.

At the gate, the passenger grew increasingly aggressive and physically assaulted four members of the SpiceJet ground staff.

An FIR has been registered with the local police, and the airline has initiated the process to place the passenger on the no-fly list in accordance with civil aviation regulations.

SpiceJet has written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation appraising them about the murderous assault on its staff and has requested appropriate action against the passenger.

The airline has secured the CCTV footage of the incident from the airport authorities and handed it over to the police.

SpiceJet said it strongly condemns any act of violence against its employees and will pursue this matter to its fullest legal and regulatory conclusion. This comes at a time when the country has seen several such incidents in recent months. An unruly man slapped his co-passenger onboard one of IndiGo’s domestic flights, sparking widespread outrage. A man facing a panic attack on the Kolkata-Mumbai flight started sobbing and walking in the aisle. Following this, another passenger slapped the panicking co-passenger.