20 November,2010 06:56 AM IST | | Bipin Kumar Singh
Mumbai's domestic airport was buzzing with activity yesterday when more than 100 passengers, who were supposed to board the Mumbai-Hyderabad flight protested at the airport.
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Their grouse: They were made to wait for more than three hours for their flight to accommodate passengers from a connecting flight.
The incident began when Jet flight 9W 455 was delayed by more than three hours after it tried to accommodate 50 other passengers from another flight, which in itself is a violation of DGCA guidelines.
According to DGCA guidelines, no flight can be delayed for such reasons.
MiD DAY spoke to more than a dozen people from the flight, "First, the flight was scheduled to take off at 6.50 pm but the boarding was finally completed at 7.15 pm.
A second delay of 25 minutes ensued after we were informed that passengers from a Goa flight were also to travel on the same flight," said Rajshekhar, a passenger.Finally the flight left at 9.45pm.
Irked at the further delay, the passengers decided to protest and did not allow the 50 other passengers to board the flight till they were compensated.
The flight finally departed at around 9.45 pm and reached Hyderabad at 11 pm.
Talking about the compensation, J Ram a passenger said, "It was a horrible experience but finally they have offered one free ticket to us as an compensation, I am waiting to collect my ticket."
The Other Side
"DUE to bad weather in at Delhi airport in the morning and the delay in the incoming flights to Mumbai, flight (9W 455) from Mumbai to Hyderabad departing at 6.50 pm was delayed. The flight was ready for departure at 8.15 pm, but the passengers' refusal to board the flight caused further delay," said a Jet Airways spokesperson.
