Passengers onboard an IndiGo flight from Vadodara to Delhi faced a power disruption on Sunday night after a technical problem with the aircraft’s ground power supply left the cabin without electricity and air conditioning for nearly half an hour.
The incident took place on IndiGo flight 6E 657, which was scheduled to depart from Vadodara at 8.40 pm on Sunday, May 17. Around 160 passengers had already boarded the aircraft when the ground power unit (GPU), which supplies electricity to parked aircraft, stopped functioning before take-off, news agency PTI reported.
Cabin plunged into darkness
According to an airport official, the aircraft was relying on the GPU for electrical supply at the time when the system developed a fault.
Also read | Power bank blast on IndiGo flight triggers emergency evacuation at Chandigarh airport
It took engineers around 12 to 15 minutes to fix the technical glitch. Another 15 minutes were required to fully restore power to the aircraft.
“During these 30 minutes, there was complete darkness in the cabin, and with the AC also not functioning, the passengers were sweating badly,” the official said.
Passengers remained seated inside the aircraft throughout the disruption.
Flight delayed by over an hour
Data available on flight tracking website flightradar24.com showed that the flight, originally scheduled for departure at 8.40 pm, finally took off at around 10 pm, resulting in a delay of nearly 1 hour and 20 minutes.
What IndiGo said
After the disruption IndiGo’s spokesperson said, “IndiGo flight 6E 657 operating from Vadodara to Delhi on 17 May, 2026 was delayed due to a technical snag. The issue was promptly resolved and the aircraft proceeded to its destination soon thereafter. Customers were kept informed throughout the delay and our teams did their best to minimise their discomfort. We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers and appreciate their patience and understanding. At IndiGo, the safety and comfort of our customers and crew remain our top priority.”
What is a GPU?
A ground power unit, or GPU, is equipment used to provide electricity to an aircraft while it is parked at the airport gate. It powers systems such as cabin lights, avionics and air conditioning without requiring the aircraft’s engines or onboard generators to run.
(With PTI inputs)
