Mangalore, Jun 20: Several Mangalore-bound passengers from Saudi Arabia have reportedly been stranded at Calicut International Airport after an Air India Express flight was diverted to Kerala due to fog and low visibility at Mangalore International Airport early on Thursday morning.
The flight, which had started its journey from Dammam International Airport, was scheduled to land in Mangalore Airport at 3:20 a.m.
The Mangalorean passengers onboard, who contacted Coastaldigest.com, alleged the Air India Express staff of ill-treatment and carelessness.
“Even though the flight reached Calicut at around 3:30 a.m. we are still inside the flight and Air India Express has not yet made any arrangements to take us to Mangalore,” complained one of the passengers from Mangalore. “They have not even provided us food and water till 10 a.m.” he said
“It seems the airline has no plans to take us to Mangalore. When we asked the authorities concerned they responded very rudely and asked us to hire a taxi and go to Mangalore. We have lost patience. They should not do like this,” said another passenger.
When contacted, Air India Express Mangalore Station Manager Melwin D'Silva said that arrangements have been made to bring back Mangalore-bound passengers.
“We have planned to divert Calicut-Muscat flight to bring stranded Mangalorean passengers back to Mangalore. They are supposed to reach Mangalore by 12:30 p.m.,” he said.
Mangalore Airport Director J T Radhakrishnan also said that the Mangalore-bound passengers would be coming by another flight within a couple of hour.
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After six-hour ordeal at Calicut, AIE Dammam-Mangalore flight passengers reach their destination
Mangalore-bound passengers on-board Air India Express flight at Calicut International Airport
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