Air India flight to Jeddah gets delayed at Mumbai airport, leaves passengers stranded for eight hours

MUMBAI: Air India flight to Hyderabad and onwards to Jeddah was inordinately delayed on Friday which left over 250 passengers stranded for about eight hours at the Mumbai airport. The aggrieved passengers got into an argument with the airline staff as the wait for departure pulled on.

Air India flight AI965 was scheduled for a 3 pm departure, said VKS Menon, a media professional who reached the airport around 1 pm with this wife and 82-year old wheel chair bond mother-in-law. At 9.30 pm, they were still at the airport with about 300-odd passengers. He said that the terminal building was teeming with stranded passengers, which included children and pilgrims. "They served us lunch, but after that they provided nothing, not even water," he alleged.

By 9.30 pm the passengers got into argument with the airline staff over the status of the flight. The said flight is operated with a Boeing 747 aircraft, halts Hyderabad before flying to Jeddah and then back to Mumbai. "We're initially told the flight will depart at 7 pm, then there is no news," he alleged. Air India spokesperson was not available for comment.