Bengaluru: Around 180 passengers bound for Nepal were left stranded at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru for over 18 hours after their Air India Express flight was diverted twice due to bad weather in Kathmandu. Frustrated passengers eventually staged a protest near the immigration point at Terminal 2, raising slogans against the airline and refusing to move.
The flight took off from Bengaluru at 10.30 am on Thursday and was scheduled to land in Kathmandu at 1.25 pm. However, poor visibility over Kathmandu forced the aircraft to divert to Varanasi. Passengers waited there for hours with little support from the airline.
When weather conditions did not improve, the flight was diverted a second time, this time to Lucknow, leaving passengers exhausted, hungry and without proper arrangements.
Among the 180 passengers on board were 37 people from Karnataka who were travelling on a 10-day Nepal tour package. For many of them it was a long-planned trip that was now falling apart with no clear answers from the airline, as per Times of India.
Passengers alleged that the airline provided almost no support during the long and exhausting wait.
“We were made to wait until 4.25 pm and given only a biscuit packet,” said Sudhalkar S, a tour agent who was travelling with the group.
Air India Express acknowledged that bad weather had disrupted the flight schedule. A spokesperson for the airline said the affected passengers were provided hotel accommodation and were given the option of either complimentary rescheduling or a full refund cancellation. The airline also said an additional recovery flight has been planned for Saturday.
Also Read: Out Of 147 Lakes, Not One In Bengaluru Is Safe For Bathing or Drinking, Says Government Report
With no flight in sight and little communication from the airline, passengers lost patience. They gathered near the immigration point at Terminal 2 at KIA, raised slogans against the airline and refused to vacate the area until their concerns were addressed.
The situation was eventually brought under control. Further updates on the recovery flight are awaited.
