SpiceJet has lodged an FIR and initiated the process to place a senior Army officer on the no-fly list after he allegedly launched a violent physical assault on four airline staffers at Srinagar airport on July 26. The incident, which stemmed from a dispute over excess cabin baggage, left one staff member with a spinal fracture and another with severe jaw injuries.
In a statement on Sunday, the airline said the officer was scheduled to board flight SG-386 from Srinagar to Delhi and was carrying 16 kilogrammes of cabin baggage — more than twice the 7-kg limit, news agency PTI reported. When informed about the excess and asked to pay the applicable charges, the passenger allegedly refused and tried to force his way into the aerobridge without completing the boarding process. He was subsequently escorted back to the gate by a CISF official.
Brutal Assault Captured on Video
Once at the gate, the situation reportedly turned violent. “A passenger grievously assaulted four SpiceJet employees at the boarding gate… Our staff members suffered a spinal fracture and serious jaw injuries after being attacked with punches, repeated kicks and a queue stand,” SpiceJet stated.
There is road rage, and now there is often – air rage
A passenger beats up a @flyspicejet staffer using whatever he could find then @CISFHQrs enters & someone slaps passenger. Full drama
Important to know why he did this (massive delay?)#NoFlyList incoming?
— Tarun Shukla (@shukla_tarun) August 3, 2025
Video clips of the incident, which have since gone viral on social media, show the officer attacking staff members and striking one of them with a queue stand. According to the airline, one employee collapsed unconscious during the assault, but the passenger continued to hit and kick the fainted staffer. Another employee, who bent down to assist the unconscious colleague, was kicked forcefully in the jaw, causing bleeding from the nose and mouth.
All injured staff were taken to hospital and are currently undergoing treatment.
Another video clip of the passenger identified as an Army officer by Spicejet, assaulting the airline staff at Srinagar airport. pic.twitter.com/plJrFlnPzr
— Man Aman Singh Chhina (@manaman_chhina) August 3, 2025
Airline Seeks Civil Aviation Ministry’s Intervention
SpiceJet confirmed it has written to the civil aviation ministry, requesting strict action against the accused and has shared CCTV footage of the incident with local police authorities.
Strongly condemning the violence, the airline stated, “SpiceJet will pursue this matter to its fullest legal and regulatory conclusion.”
It remains unclear whether the officer was detained by authorities at the airport following the assault.
In a separate case, IndiGo on Saturday announced that it had imposed a flying ban on a passenger who had slapped a co-traveller during a Mumbai-Kolkata flight the previous day.
