Mumbai: Seventy passengers, including senior citizens, spent over three frustrating hours inside an aircraft before Air India finally cancelled the Mumbai-Gwalior flight on Sunday, citing poor weather conditions there. The fliers alleged poor treatment and lack of communication by the airline's staff and also claimed the weather was clear in Gwalior.
But an airline spokesperson said it was forced to cancel the flight after the Air Traffic Control refused to grant permission to fly over poor visibility in Gwalior. The official also said alternative travel options, including new air tickets, were offered to the passengers.
The Mumbai-Gwalior flight was scheduled to take off at 10.30 am on Sunday. The national carrier usually flies an ATR plane on the route, but it developed a snag, prompting AI officials to make a switch to an Airbus, a much bigger aircraft.
"I landed in Mumbai at 8.15 am and I have informed the flight to Gwalior was on time. I boarded at 10.10 am. The plane was supposed to take off at 10.30 am, but there was no movement till 11.30 am," she said.
"At 11.45 am, they [Air India staff] said they were waiting for the caption. Around 12.30 pm, the captain said they were waiting for ATC clearance from Gwalior.Everyone was hungry."
Refreshments were served, but the passengers still had no idea when the aircraft would take off. Around 1.30 pm, it was announced that the flight had been cancelled because of unfavourable weather in Gwalior. A passenger then phoned his son, who works with the Air Force in Gwalior, and learned that the visibility was 6 km in MP's tourist capital.
23/01/17 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror/India Times
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But an airline spokesperson said it was forced to cancel the flight after the Air Traffic Control refused to grant permission to fly over poor visibility in Gwalior. The official also said alternative travel options, including new air tickets, were offered to the passengers.
The Mumbai-Gwalior flight was scheduled to take off at 10.30 am on Sunday. The national carrier usually flies an ATR plane on the route, but it developed a snag, prompting AI officials to make a switch to an Airbus, a much bigger aircraft.
"I landed in Mumbai at 8.15 am and I have informed the flight to Gwalior was on time. I boarded at 10.10 am. The plane was supposed to take off at 10.30 am, but there was no movement till 11.30 am," she said.
"At 11.45 am, they [Air India staff] said they were waiting for the caption. Around 12.30 pm, the captain said they were waiting for ATC clearance from Gwalior.Everyone was hungry."
Refreshments were served, but the passengers still had no idea when the aircraft would take off. Around 1.30 pm, it was announced that the flight had been cancelled because of unfavourable weather in Gwalior. A passenger then phoned his son, who works with the Air Force in Gwalior, and learned that the visibility was 6 km in MP's tourist capital.
23/01/17 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror/India Times
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