Some passengers accused the state-run airline of misinforming them on the actual departure of the delayed flight. (File photo)
Highlights
- A technical snag grounded the Kolkata-Delhi flight of Air India on Sunday
- 236 passengers including CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury were on the plane
- Passengers accused the airline of misinforming them on actual departure
For some of the passengers who boarded an Air India flight from Kolkata on Sunday evening, the journey to their destination, New Delhi, took 14 hours instead of just two.
At 5:30 pm on Sunday, 236 passengers boarded flight AI 701, among them were Abdul Basit, High Commissioner of Pakistan, and CPM lawmaker Sitaram Yechuri. After taxing to the runway, the pilot detected a technical snag and brought the plane back to the terminal. As engineers tried to fix the problem, few passengers - some say 50 - deboarded around 8:30 pm to catch a different flight out. Among them was Mr Basit.
Mr Yechuri left too but did not fly out. Air India says in a statement, "All passengers were given an option for hotel accommodation and food. While, some passengers opted for hotel stay option, others especially from Kolkata, went back home and for them transport reimbursement was made."
Around 10 pm, the 131 passengers still on the flight were put on another plane for Delhi. But that, too, finally did not take off because there was no pilot. According to Air India, the available pilot had crossed his Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) and could not fly before dawn.
In video footage shot by passengers and shared with NDTV, angry exchanges can be seen with airlines staff. "We don't want any excuse, just get the flight off the ground," some people say.
Passengers tweeted out their horror stories. "Latest from @airindiain 701: flying 6:45 am - after 13 hrs spent on 2 diff aircraft with 2 diff boarding passes & a lot of lies," said one. "6 hrs of being inside AI 701, my 5m (baby) is on the floor as AI is clueless," said another.
The flight left around 6:30 this morning, but not before Mr Yechuri, who boarded the flight in the morning, was heckled by passengers who claimed the flight had been delayed to accommodate him and that he had been kept in a hotel by Air India.
Mr Yechuri denied the charge, saying, "There's no question of any hospitality given by Air India to me. Air India claims passengers didn't want to get off the flight."
In one of the videos, a passenger is heard shouting at Mr Yechuri, "We were not given any option."