‘We may not make it home’: Mid-air scare on Fly91 flight

Shweta Jayakumar Alagundagi and Jaykumar Alagundagi passengers on the plane. pics/by special arrangement

A Hyderabad-Hubballi flight was diverted to Bengaluru on Sunday due to bad weather, triggering panic among passengers who reported sudden changes in altitude and alleged lack of communication from airline staff. The airline denied any technical fault, stating the diversion was a standard safety measure.

What happened

Flight IC3401, operated by Fly91, departed from Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at 3.30 pm and was scheduled to land in Hubballi at 4.30 pm. According to passengers, the situation turned tense mid-air. "My parents sent me videos saying they might not make it home," said Shlok Alagundagi, whose parents, Jaykumar Alagundagi and Shweta Jayakumar Alagundagi, were on board. "They said the aircraft suddenly dropped and climbed a few times, which caused panic." The flight was eventually diverted to Bengaluru.

Shlok Alagundagi, whose parents were on board

Communication gaps on ground

Shlok said there was little clarity for those waiting at Hubballi airport. "I was at the Hubballi airport waiting for my parents' flight to land, but till 6 pm we had no update from the airline or the airport," he said. "When I went to talk to the airline staff, no one was at the desk, and all were inside the terminal building, which I could not enter. The airport staff also couldn't tell me anything about a diversion or a delay." He added that display boards continued to show the flight as delayed. "Along with me, there were many who were waiting for their friends and family, but we were all clueless as no intimation was given," he said.

Airline response

The airline, in a statement on social media, denied reports of a technical issue. "The flight IC3401 from Hyderabad to Hubballi did not develop a technical snag as is being reported," the statement said. It added, "On nearing Hubballi, the flight encountered bad weather due to which the flight was diverted to Bengaluru as per standard protocol. The flight subsequently returned to Hubballi and back to its home base in Hyderabad. There was zero compromise in safety."

Experience after diversion

Passengers also alleged poor handling after landing in Bengaluru. "My parents were telling me that when they landed, and had not even started deboarding, a ground staff of the airline boarded the aircraft and was very rude to all the passengers," Shlok said. "They did not even offer to arrange transportation or anything for the passengers to go back to Hubballi. My parents had to catch a cab and come home." He, however, clarified that the onboard crew handled the situation well. "The crew in the aircraft and the pilots were very sweet and tried to control the chaos," he said. "It is the ground staff and the management of the airline which was rude and inconsiderate."

At a glance

Flight: IC3401 (Hyderabad-Hubballi)
Departure: 3.30 pm from Hyderabad
Scheduled arrival: 4.30 pm in Hubballi
Actual event: Diverted to Bengaluru
Reason (airline): Bad weather
Passenger concern: Sudden altitude changes, lack of updates