Dubai-bound passengers spend night at Mangaluru airport as airline delays arranging alternate aircraft

MANGALURU: After forcing 130 Dubai-bound passengers to spend the whole night on Monday at the Mangaluru International Airport, Air India Express arranged for an alternate aircraft to Dubai today afternoon.

The passengers were stranded at the airport since Monday night and were panic due to delay. They were forced to spend more than 13 hours at the airport lounge. The passengers took the airline staff to task for the delay and for not arranging alternative flights. Chaos prevailed at the airport for some time due to the confusion.

The passengers were supposed to board a Dubai-bound Air India Express flight around 11.15 pm, but it did not leave due to some technical glitch. The airline did not even arrange an alternate aircraft and did not provide any proper information, the passengers complained.

The airline officials informed them that the flight had gone to Thiruvananthapuram for some repair work, and that it would arrive at 9 am today, but the plane did not arrive even at 12 noon. Then, the airline arranged an alternate aircraft for the stranded passengers who finally left for Dubai in the afternoon.

Some passengers feared they would lose their job, hence they forced the authorities to issue an explanation letter for the flight delay. Air India Express admitted to its mistake and issued an explanation letter and boarded the passengers.