200 AI passengers stranded for over 12 hrs

Bangalore: Over 200 Mumbai-bound passengers were stranded at Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) on Saturday for over 12 hours.
Air India flight AI 5214, operating from Jeddah to Mumbai via Bangalore, had to halt operations at Bangalore following expiry of duty hours of the operating crew, the pilots. The flight landed in Bangalore at 3.20 am on Saturday and was to depart to Mumbai around 4.45 am. The flight finally departed at around 6.30 pm.
According to Air India officials, the pilots' 12-hour duty period of which 9 hours is flying time, had lapsed due to the aircraft being delayed at Jeddah. "The departure of flight AI 5214 to Mumbai got delayed due to the stipulated Flight and Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) of the operating crew," said an Air India statement, issued by the airline's senior manager for corporate communications in Bangalore.
The Boeing 747 aircraft was carrying over 400 passengers, of which 200 passengers got off at Bangalore, and crew.
Air India officials said the Mumbai-bound passengers were put up at the lounge facility at BIA. A special aircraft along with crew members was requisitioned from Mumbai to take the passengers back.
06/12/09 Times of India

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Categories: Air India - International Dec 2009, Airports Dec 2009, Foreign Dec 2009, NACIL Dec 2009