SpiceJet says the panel was a non-structural cosmetic part and was fixed after landing.
Passengers aboard the Pune-bound SpiceJet flight SG-1080 travelling from Goa to Pune on Tuesday suffered a scare after a window frame on the flight popped out mid-air, the newspaper Indian Express said in a report.
The report citing a statement by the airline said that there was no cabin depressurisation as the outer layers of the windowpane remained intact and passenger safety was not compromised.
The newspaper spoke to flyer who said that a mother who was sitting with her child was concerned as she was in close proximity to the window. “I was travelling back from Goa to Pune after attending an event. A woman was sitting behind me and she was with a baby. Half an hour after takeoff, the window (close to her) just popped out. The woman got scared and it was concerning. There is a protective layer behind the window that protects us from the elements outside, and it was intact, but it is still concerning. This is not done,” the flyer, named Mandar Sawant, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
“The flight attendants tried to calm us down, but what else will they even do? They moved the woman and her child to a different seat behind. The stewardess did manage to somewhat get the window back on, but any sudden movement and it probably would have fallen off again,” Sawant was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
“We got to know at the airport that the flight was delayed the previous day as well due to ‘technical issues,” he further added, pointing out that the flight was originally scheduled for 5.20 pm on July 1, departed an hour and a half late at 6.55 pm and that he did not get any message or update from the airline that the flight was delayed.
“A cosmetic window frame on one of SpiceJet’s Q400 aircraft became loose during flight and was found dislodged. It is important to note that this was a non-structural trim component, fitted onto the window for the purpose of shade, and did not compromise the safety or integrity of the aircraft in any way. Cabin pressurisation remained normal throughout the flight, and there was no impact on passenger safety,” a SpiceJet official was quoted as saying by the newspaper.