Bhubaneswar: Biju Patnaik International Airport's departure lounge on Thursday witnessed chaotic scenes as several Hyderabad-bound passengers staged a protest against the alleged unscheduled cancellation of a flight by an airline.
Airport sources said the flight was scheduled to depart Bhubaneswar for Hyderabad at 9:55 am on Wednesday, but it was announced as cancelled. It was then rescheduled for 8:45 am on Thursday but was cancelled again, causing resentment among passengers.
The aggrieved passengers exchanged heated words with airline staff and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel. Many passengers were those who needed to catch connecting flights in Hyderabad.
Airport director Prasanna Pradhan said the passengers were served refreshments as per protocol and alternative flights were arranged. "There were some technical issues for which the flight was cancelled. This delayed the arrival in Bhubaneswar. The passengers were informed that the flight was coming at 11:15 am, after which boarding began and went on smoothly. There was no other issue," Pradhan added.