Bengaluru: What began as a routine trip to Chicago soon spiralled into an overnight nightmare for Jayanagar residents, eventually leading to a legal battle.
The episode dates back to Jan 4, 2024, when 68-year-old Satish Nagarajan Iyengar and his 38-year-old son, Rupesh, booked Air India round-trip tickets between Bengaluru and Chicago for Rs 2.9 lakh. Their onward journey was scheduled for Jan 18, with the return flight planned for Jan 22.
On Jan 18, the duo checked in at Bengaluru airport and received two boarding passes each, while their baggage was tagged directly to Chicago. Their flight departed Bengaluru at 9.10pm and was slated to arrive in Delhi at 11.55pm, where they were to board a connecting flight to Chicago at 2.35am.
The flight was normal until it entered Delhi airspace, when the captain announced a diversion to Jaipur, citing low visibility. However, the duo contended that Delhi’s CAT IIIB-compliant runways were operational and the aircraft was equipped for landing, alleging the diversion occurred due to pilots lacking CAT IIIB certification.
The aircraft landed in Jaipur, where passengers waited for more than an hour while a CAT IIIB-certified crew was flown in. The flight then reached Delhi at 1.52am, leaving less than 45 minutes for the connection.
Despite assurances that they would make the connection, they were met with placards and escorted through a priority channel. However, they were made to wait more than 30 minutes, their baggage was returned and the Chicago leg was cancelled, citing late arrival of AI 808. Air India’s Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC) later confirmed seats were available but said boarding had closed.
For Satish, a senior citizen, the situation turned distressing. No food, water, seating or hotel accommodation was provided, nor any timeline for resolution. After a sleepless night at the airport, they booked a hotel at their own expense. The next morning, Air India issued tickets to Bengaluru and said reimbursement would be provided.
13/05/2026 Vindhya Pabolu/Times of India
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