Thiruvananthapuram: A week after India opened up its aviation sector to international competition, hundreds of expatriate passengers were stranded in southern India yesterday as Air India cancelled several flights on the Gulf sector.
Air India officials said the services from three airports in Kerala and in Mangalore, Karnataka had to be cancelled to fly Haj pilgrims from other parts of the country and added the stranded passengers were being accommodated on other flights.
The frequent cancellations and delays of Air India flights have sparked widespread protests in Kerala.
The Sharjah-bound passengers of Air India Express who reached the international airport here early yesterday said they were not informed about the cancellation of the flight.
Many of them said they could lose their job if they failed to report in time.
“I came all the way from Chengannur to catch the flight, only to be informed that it has been cancelled. I had checked with them the previous night on phone before finalising my travel plans,” said one of the passengers. “They could have at least sent an SMS alert on the status of my flight,” a passenger said.
Air India Express officials later made arrangements for 40 passengers to board the evening flight to Sharjah. But many are still stranded and the problem is expected to continue at least for a month until the end of the pilgrimage season.
23/09/12 Ashraf Padanna/Gulf Times
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Air India officials said the services from three airports in Kerala and in Mangalore, Karnataka had to be cancelled to fly Haj pilgrims from other parts of the country and added the stranded passengers were being accommodated on other flights.
The frequent cancellations and delays of Air India flights have sparked widespread protests in Kerala.
The Sharjah-bound passengers of Air India Express who reached the international airport here early yesterday said they were not informed about the cancellation of the flight.
Many of them said they could lose their job if they failed to report in time.
“I came all the way from Chengannur to catch the flight, only to be informed that it has been cancelled. I had checked with them the previous night on phone before finalising my travel plans,” said one of the passengers. “They could have at least sent an SMS alert on the status of my flight,” a passenger said.
Air India Express officials later made arrangements for 40 passengers to board the evening flight to Sharjah. But many are still stranded and the problem is expected to continue at least for a month until the end of the pilgrimage season.
23/09/12 Ashraf Padanna/Gulf Times
