Air India Express station manager says the flight from Dubai was delayed due to weather constraints
Higher official is “Unaware of any such incident”
Mangaluru: The Air-India station manager of Mangaluru has cited ‘weather constraints’ for the delay of Dubai-Mangaluru flight on Thursday. Due to the delay, the passengers of Mangaluru bound Air India Express flight IX-814 were made to wait for more than six hours for the flight to take off at the Dubai International Airport on Thursday.
The passengers who had booked their ticket to fly to Mangaluru International Airport on 27 March, and were scheduled to take off from Dubai at 11.40 pm, took off at 6.00 am on 28 March and reached Mangaluru at 10.30 am. A six hours delay from the scheduled time.
The passengers who were made to sit and wait on the flight throughout the night expressed their dissent and anguish over the incident and blamed the in-flight staff for being ‘rude’ to the passengers.
“They did not even provide water for us to drink all this while. We were treated unethically and were kept misinformed about the delay until very late. There was a passenger who was coming to attend the funeral of his brother, they assured him that there will only be one or two hour delay but in reality they delayed us by more than six hours” one of the passenger told Vartha Bharati after the flight landed at Mangaluru International Airport after
“Initially, when we checked in at the airport, we were told that the flight is delayed for one hour. It is normal and we were fine with it. But we were not provided any information about the flight by anyone when it went in excess of the time. We were told at 3.45 that the flight will take off at 5.30 am” he added.
Speaking to Vartha Bharati, the station manager at Air India Express office in Mangaluru added that it was due to weather that the flight was delayed. He said “The flight which went from here, and had to start its return journey from Dubai at 11.40 had to land at Sharjah Airport due to weather constraints. In such a scenario we can’t take the flight immediately to Dubai when the weather is cleared. There is a lot of paperwork that goes in and it takes time. And that is what caused the delay”.
He however refused to comment further on the issue and shared contact of higher authority Mr. Prageesh, based in Kochi and who was authorized to comment on behalf of the Air India Express.
When contacted, Prageesh replied that he was on a ‘long leave’ and he was unaware of any such incident.
“I am not in touch with the office from last few days as I’ am on a long leave. So I don’t have any update regarding the incident” he also failed to provide an alternate contact who can be contacted to get the official statement of the flight operating company.
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Integrity of electoral process severely compromised, Cong to soon launch movement: CWC
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress Working Committee met here on Friday and adopted a resolution alleging the integrity of the entire electoral process was being severely compromised against which the party would soon launch a movement.
In the resolution of the top body of the Congress, the party said free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that was being called into "serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission".
The CWC, which met amid the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, said the session has been a washout so far because of the Narendra Modi government's "stubborn refusal" to have an immediate discussion on three pressing national issues -- "the recent revelations regarding corruption by a business group, and the violence in Manipur and Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal".
Asked why the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution does not name the business group, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "The answer is the Adani group".
"The CWC believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission.
"Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take these up these public concerns as a national movement," the resolution stated.
Addressing a joint press conference along with Ramesh and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, party general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said the party discussed the political situation in the country for four-and-half hours and adopted the resolution.
He said the CWC has decided to constitute internal committees to look into electoral performance and organisational matters.
About the Assembly polls results in Maharashtra, Venugopal said the electoral outcome in the state was "beyond normal understanding and it appears to be a clear case of targeted manipulation".
