The Hindu : Kerala News : Stranded chartered flight leaves for Male

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Stranded chartered flight leaves for Male

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURM, DEC. 27. The Boeing 767 of Transaero with 208 Russian tourists from Moscow, which got stranded at the international airport here since Sunday morning due to flooding of the runway of Male airport, finally took off from here to Male at 5 p.m. today.

The decision to proceed to Male was taken by the airline authorities after some of the passengers insisted on going to the island nation, airport sources said. The departure of the flight got delayed following a row between passengers and airline authorities. The crew wanted to return back to Moscow in view of the poor infrastructure facilities in Male.

The passengers, who arrived in the chartered flight that landed in the airport here at 11.50 a.m. on Sunday, were accommodated in the pre-security area of the international terminal.

The passengers were confined to the terminal building by the authorities, as they did not have landing permission in the country. The Airports Authority of India made arrangements to provide food and other facilities to the stranded passengers.

IA flights to Male

The Indian Airlines, which had cancelled the IC 963/964 Thiruvananthapuram-Male-Thiruvananthapuram flight on Sunday due to flooding of runway at Male, operated two flights from here to bring back the stranded passengers from the island nation.

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