Tech snag delays Air India Express flight for 6 hours at Kolkata airport, passengers protest

Passengers at Kolkata airport protested after an Air India Express flight to Chennai was delayed for nearly six hours due to a technical fault. The flight, carrying about 170 passengers, eventually departed after noon, while travellers criticised communication and lack of assistance

Kolkata: Passengers at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata protested on Wednesday morning after an Air India Express flight to Chennai was delayed for around six hours due to a technical fault.

According to an airport official, the flight was scheduled to depart from Kolkata for Chennai at 6.30 a.m. with around 170 passengers on board. The passengers had already been issued boarding passes. However, a technical fault was detected before the aircraft could take off. The passengers became upset as they waited for several hours without receiving clear information about when the flight would depart.

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After around six hours of delay and protests by passengers, the flight finally took off after 12 o’clock. Passengers alleged that they were not informed about the technical problem in time, despite having been issued boarding passes.

They also alleged that the authorities failed to provide adequate assistance or make alternative arrangements while they remained at the airport for several hours. The passengers subsequently began protesting on the airport premises.

Airport authorities said the flight could not depart on schedule because of a technical fault. They also said that arranging an alternative flight at short notice was not possible. The departure of the affected flight was announced after 11.30 a.m. However, Air India Express did not specify the nature of the technical problem.

The incident, in which a technical problem was detected shortly before departure, has also raised concerns among passengers about flight safety. Some passengers said the prolonged delay disrupted their scheduled plans.

The incident comes days after an Air India flight, AI2379, travelling from Phuket to Delhi experienced a sudden loss of around 300 feet in altitude on August 4. The Airbus A320 was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members, comprising two pilots and six cabin crew. After the aircraft landed safely in Delhi, both pilots underwent mandatory screening for psychoactive substances. The incident left 20 passengers and four cabin crew members injured, with 17 people requiring hospitalisation.