New Delhi: Chaotic scenes erupted at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport on Thursday, when a flight to Nepal’s Kathmandu was diverted to Varanasi. The diversion was due to poor weather in Kathmandu. Following this, the passengers staged a protest at Terminal 2 of the Airport.
There were a total of 180 passengers on board the plane, which was delayed by 18 hours said a report in the Times of India.
Plane diverted twice
According to reports there was a 37-member group from Karnataka who were on their way to a 10-day tour to Kathmandu. The flight departed Bengaluru at 10:30 am on Thursday and was scheduled to land at Kathmandu at 1:25 pm.
However due to poor visibility, the plane made a turnaround and landed in Varanasi. The woos of the passengers however did not end there. One passenger on board alleged that there were inadequate arrangements for them during the halt in Varanasi. While waiting inside the aircraft, they were only provided 1 biscuit packet each and no other refreshments, said one of the travelers.
Next the flight took off and landed in Lucknow.
Airlines response
Following complaints from passengers, an Air India Express spokesperson expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers due to the diversions. He claimed that passengers were provided proper accommodation when the flight returned to Bengaluru.
The airlines also gave passengers the option of rescheduling their flights or a full refund, said the spokesperson. He added that a recovery flight is planned by the airlines for Saturday and passengers who wish to continue their journey to Kathmandu, may opt for this flight.