Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Cancellation of flight leaves passengers high and dry

Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Passengers of a New Delhi-bound Indian flight had a harrowing time at the international airport here on Sunday following the sudden cancellation of the flight.

The IC168 flight, bound for New Delhi via Mumbai, was cancelled after over four hours of ordeal for the passengers. Airlines sources said the pilot of the A-319 aircraft `exceeded the maximum flying hours set by Director General of Civil Aviation on a single day.'

The flight, which was to leave here for New Delhi at 2.55 p.m., was delayed due to a technical snag initially.

The 122 passengers who had boarded the aircraft were informed by the pilot at 3.05 p.m. of a snag in the hydraulic system.

By around 4.30 p.m., the passengers were asked to deplane and were again informed about the problem around 5 p.m.

The passengers had a hard time as no top official of the airline was at the airport. Only two staff members of the airport were present to respond to the queries of the stranded passengers. Over 50 passengers were to proceed in various international flights from Delhi and Mumbai.

Finally around 7.10 p.m., the airline announced that the flight had been cancelled. Airline sources told The Hindu that efforts to rush in another crew from other cities to operate the flight did not materialise.

They said the flight would operate with same crew at 6 a.m. on Monday.

The stranded passengers were put up in city hotels, an official said.

Former Doordarshan director K. Kunhikrishnan who was among the stranded passengers said that the airline did not rise to the occasion and take steps to organise another flight to Delhi on Sunday itself.

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