SpiceJet on Sunday said a senior Army officer, who was to board a flight to Delhi, assaulted four airline ground staffers at the Srinagar airport on July 26, and one of them suffered a spinal fracture.

The assault took place after the passenger was told to pay for the extra cabin baggage.

"A passenger grievously assaulted four SpiceJet employees at the boarding gate of flight SG-386 from Srinagar to Delhi on July 26, 2025. Our staff members suffered a spinal fracture and serious jaw injuries after being attacked with punches, repeated kicks and a queue stand," SpiceJet said in a statement.

The Army officer, who was to board a flight to Delhi, was carrying two pieces of cabin luggage, weighing 16 kg. For domestic flights, cabin luggage weighing more than 7 kg attracted additional charges. The Army officer was informed about this, according to SpiceJet.

"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," SpiceJet said in a statement.

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

Video clips of the incident shared on social media showed the passenger assaulting the staff and one of them being hit with a queue stand at the airport.

The injured were taken to the hospital and are undergoing treatment.

According to the airline, one employee collapsed unconscious on the floor but the passenger continued kicking and hitting the fainted employee.

"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," it added.

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, the statement said.

SpiceJet has also written to the civil aviation ministry, apprising them about the murderous assault on its staff and has requested appropriate action against the passenger.

The airline also said that it has secured the CCTV footage of the incident from the airport authorities and handed it over to the police. SpiceJet said it will pursue this matter to its fullest legal and regulatory conclusion.

Responding to a video shared online, the CISF assured that necessary action would be taken.

As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rules, this incident falls under Level 2 (physical abuse) and potentially Level 3 (life-threatening behaviour), resulting in a ban from flying for up to six months (if Level 2) and two years or more without limit (if Level 3).