India’s national carrier Air India came in for scathing criticism yesterday from Keralites, including many in Qatar, after the pilot of a Kerala-bound Air India Express flight from Abu Dhabi raised a hijack alert across while the craft was waiting at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
Reports from Kerala said the pilot raised the hijack alarm when a group of agitated passengers protested onboard after her refusal to continue the journey to Kochi from Thiruvananthapuram, where it had landed four hours earlier owing to unfavourable weather conditions. The refusal to fly to Kochi came after the plane carrying about 165 passengers, was diverted to Thiruvananthapuram.
In the inter-active websites of many Indian newspapers, hundreds of Keralites from the Gulf region and in India registered their protest and anger at the incident which also witnessed the detention of six passengers, who the woman pilot said had threatened her and stormed the cockpit after her refusal to continue the journey to Kochi.
The six passengers were later released by investigation agencies on their arrival in Kochi after the plane resumed journey from Thiruvananthapuram following the eight-hour long drama.
20/10/12 Ramesh Mathew/Gulf Times
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Reports from Kerala said the pilot raised the hijack alarm when a group of agitated passengers protested onboard after her refusal to continue the journey to Kochi from Thiruvananthapuram, where it had landed four hours earlier owing to unfavourable weather conditions. The refusal to fly to Kochi came after the plane carrying about 165 passengers, was diverted to Thiruvananthapuram.
In the inter-active websites of many Indian newspapers, hundreds of Keralites from the Gulf region and in India registered their protest and anger at the incident which also witnessed the detention of six passengers, who the woman pilot said had threatened her and stormed the cockpit after her refusal to continue the journey to Kochi.
The six passengers were later released by investigation agencies on their arrival in Kochi after the plane resumed journey from Thiruvananthapuram following the eight-hour long drama.
20/10/12 Ramesh Mathew/Gulf Times
