5 flights diverted to Jaipur Airport due to bad weather; 150 passengers left stranded
The flights redirected to Jaipur included two each from Air India and SpiceJet, and one from Gulf Stream.
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Jaipur Airport. File Photo
JAIPUR: Bad weather conditions in Delhi resulted in the diversion of five flights — including three international and two domestic — to Jaipur on Sunday, causing inconvenience for over 150 passengers.
The flights redirected to Jaipur included two each from Air India and SpiceJet, and one from Gulf Stream. Both Air India flights were international, the first flight AI-112 – from London to Delhi, was scheduled to land at Delhi at 6:00 AM. However, due to adverse weather, it was diverted to Jaipur. The delay due to the diversion caused passengers to wait for six hours at the airport.
This caused an uproar among passengers. They alleged that upon landing, the Air India pilots deserted the flights, citing that their duty hours were over. Sources, however, claimed that a fresh crew was immediately arranged to operate the flight, and the delay was not caused due to the non-availability of pilots.
They added that while the aircraft was waiting for Delhi weather to improve and take off, the cockpit crew came under the regulations regarding Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) – which specifies limitations applicable to the flight time and flight duty periods for crew members, so a fresh crew was arranged.
Some of the passengers were later transported to Delhi by a Volvo bus, while others were sent by cab.
Passengers of @airindia AI112 flying from London to Delhi have been diverted to Jaipur due to bad weather but passengers have not been assisted with any recourse to reaching their final destinations. @JM_Scindia please assist us urgently. We did manage to speak with @Ra_THORe… pic.twitter.com/DjLOD8dXLK
— Adit (@ABritishIndian) June 25, 2023
The second Air India flight was en route from Dubai to Delhi.
A Jaipur airport official confirmed that five flights were rerouted from Delhi due to the weather. He added that steps were taken to ensure passengers reach their destinations safely.
Recent improvements at Jaipur airport, including the expansion of the parking area from 19 to 33 spaces, and the construction of a parallel taxi-way, have made it an ideal diversion point for flights unable to land in Delhi due to inclement weather.
