Delhi-bound AI flight delayed, passengers livid

A New Delhi bound Air India flight from NSC Bose International airport was delayed for almost seven hours, sparking protests from irate passengers this morning, an Air India official said.

The official said flight AI 021 which was about to take-off at 10.30 am, was delayed for nearly seven hours due to a “technical glitch” and would leave at 5.15 pm after rectifying the problem.

Irate passengers however, agitated in the lounge against the delay, and were pacified only after the airlines announced the time of the take-off, the official said.

Congress MP Avijit Mukherjee and BJP MP Babul Supriyo were also booked on the flight but co-operated with the airline’s authorities and did not participate in the agitation, the officials said.

“As Air India accords maximum priority to safety issues, the Air India engineering team has been working hard to rectify this glitch and make the aircraft available for flying,” the official said quoting an official statement.

Passengers were served lunch and refreshments and were kept updated about the developments, the official added.