New Delhi:
There was total chaos at Delhi International Airport on Thursday as the national carrier, Air India, moved its entire domestic operations to the new and fancy Terminal 3.
Flights were delayed, schedules were in disarray and thousands of passengers, most visibly VIPs, were held up for hours.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was travelling to Kolkata with party colleagues, remained stuck at the airport because of shortage of cabin crew.
Mamata's fellow partyman and Union Minister Dinesh Trivedi was also stuck, ironically a day after he sent a letter to the PM about management hurdles in Air India.
For passengers, it was a harrowing transit.
"The directions that are given are so pathetic," said a passenger.
Another passenger complained, "Timings are delayed. Then on entering the aircraft, the seats are not confirmed. Also no one knows anything about the baggage system."
Far from the ground reality, an Air India press release maintained that the transition was smooth.
Air India Statement : "We have accomplished smooth transition of Domestic Operations from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3."
Experts say teething troubles are likley while shifting terminals.
But Air India compounded it by simultaneously shifting its hub of flight operations from Frankfurt to New Delhi, throwing T3 in turbulence.