Passengers stranded at Pune Airport as Bengaluru-bound Air Asia flight delayed by over 10 hours
The flight was re-scheduled multiple times due to technical issues and could not take off even as the airline eventually arranged another flight
A Bengaluru-bound Air Asia flight originally scheduled to depart from Pune Airport at 5.25 am was delayed by over 10 hours, leaving over 100 passengers stranded at the airport. The flight was re-scheduled multiple times due to technical issues and could not take off even as the airline eventually arranged another flight - originally destined for travel to Jaipur – for the stranded passengers.
First the delay and then the diversion only exacerbated the chaos, with many passengers cancelling critical appointments and meetings. The passengers reported receiving initial messages about a minor delay, only to have the departure time pushed back again and again. It wasn’t before 3.15 pm that Air Asia managed to accommodate the stranded passengers in the alternative flight that was originally scheduled to travel to Jaipur.
Tensions at the airport escalated further when senior officials of the airline allegedly avoided communicating with the agitated passengers. Refreshments were reportedly served following disputes between the passengers and airline staff which necessitated intervention by the CISF personnel. Some passengers had arrived at the airport as early as 2 am meaning that they ended up being stranded at the airport for more than 12 hours. Several passengers missed important meetings while some had to miss important appointments due to the chaos.
An AIX Connect spokesperson said, “An AIX Connect flight scheduled to operate from Pune to Bengaluru is delayed due to a technical issue. Guests are being looked after and an option of full refund and free re-scheduling is being provided. AIX Connect regrets the delay and disruption to travel plans. We wish to reiterate that the safety and security of our guests are of primary importance in all operations.”