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Akasa Air Pune-Bengaluru flight offloaded due to last-minute technical ‘glitch’: What happened?
A routine flight from Pune to Bengaluru turned chaotic for passengers of Akasa Air as they were asked to disembark after a technical fault was discovered.
Travellers on an Akasa Air service from Pune to Bengaluru faced an unexpected delay on Tuesday when they were asked to disembark after spending nearly 90 minutes inside the aircraft due to a technical issue shortly before take-off.
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The flight, operated using a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, was scheduled to leave Pune at 8:50 am, with boarding commencing around 8:10 am, said a passenger who was on board at the time, according to a report by news agency PTI.
The passenger said the Bengaluru-bound flight, numbered QP1312, had completed boarding and was preparing for departure when a last-minute fault was identified. As a result, the airline decided to offload all passengers from the aircraft at Pune airport.
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Akasa Air informed passengers that the flight was running behind schedule, initially citing operational constraints and announcing a revised departure time of 1:15 pm.
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The airline later clarified that the disruption was linked to a technical issue with the aircraft. In an official statement, Akasa Air said the flight, which was slated to operate on January 13, had been held back as the aircraft was undergoing necessary checks.
According to the airline, once the inspections are completed, the flight is expected to take off at 1:15 pm. Akasa Air added that arrangements had been made to minimise inconvenience to travellers, including the option to shift to an evening service. Passengers who chose not to travel were also offered refunds, with the process already initiated.
Recently, Akasa Air had called off its international services operating to and from Jeddah, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi in late November, citing safety concerns after a large volcanic ash cloud from recent eruptions in Ethiopia drifted into major air routes between India and the Gulf region.
(With inputs from PTI)
