Passengers protest at Bengaluru Airport as flight failed to land in Nepal

In Bengaluru, chaos prevailed at Kempegowda International Airport after passengers bound for Nepal have staged a protest against Air India Express, alleging gross mismanagement that disrupted their travel plans for two consecutive days. According to passengers, the flight departed Bengaluru for Kathmandu at 10.30 am on Thursday. However, the aircraft returned without landing in Kathmandu under circumstances that were not clearly communicated to travellers, they alleged. The same aircraft reportedly took off again on Friday morning, but once again failed to land in Kathmandu and was diverted to Lucknow. Passengers alleged that they were made to remain seated inside the aircraft for several hours after landing in Lucknow.More than 40 Kannada-speaking travellers were among those on board, who said their long-planned Nepal trip was disrupted due to the airline's alleged failure to manage the situation effectively. Protesters claimed they were confined inside the aircraft for more than 30 hours in total and accused the airline of poor coordination and communication.
After prolonged waiting and exhaustion, travellers staged a protest inside the aircraft, forcing the airline to fly them back to Bengaluru. Upon arrival, several passengers sat in protest at the airport. The Air India Express cited "bad weather" as a reason for the flight delay. "Due to adverse weather in Kathmandu, our Bengaluru-Kathmandu flights on 26 and 27 February were diverted." "We regret the inconvenience caused due to factors beyond the airline's control," they added.

(State Correspondent)