Jaipur: Air India passengers stranded as pilot refuses to fly
Passengers on the Air India A-112 flight traveling to Delhi from London experienced an unexpected inconvenience and delay as the pilot refused to resume the journey after making an emergency landing in Jaipur. The incident reportedly happened on Sunday when bad weather conditions forced the flight diversion, leaving nearly 350 passengers stranded at the Jaipur Airport for hours while they searched for alternative arrangements.
Here's why Delhi-bound Air India flight got diverted to Jaipur
As per reports, the Air India flight was supposed to arrive in the national capital at 4:00am on Sunday but was diverted to Jaipur due to bad weather conditions at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The flight was set to resume its journey within a couple of hours after landing in Jaipur, according to the news outlet News18.
Know why pilot refused to resume flight to Delhi
Despite receiving the go-ahead from Air Traffic Control (ATC), the pilot reportedly decided not to fly the plane and disembarked, citing duty time limitations as the justification behind his move. This shocking turn of events left the Delhi-bound Air India passengers stranded in Jaipur and prompted them to pursue alternative means to reach their destination.
Air India's statement over incident
"While the aircraft was waiting for Delhi weather to improve and take off, the cockpit crew came under FDTL, that is Flight Duty Time Limitations," the airline said in an official release. "Air India accords top priority to safety of its passengers and crew and strictly adhering to the operations regulations, immediately arranged a fresh set of crew to operate the flight," it added.
Inconvenience for around 350 passengers
The nearly 350 passengers who were stranded at the airport as a result were allegedly asked to look for alternative arrangements. After nearly two to three hours, some of the passengers were transported to the national capital by road. As per India Today, others were also able to leave for Delhi on the same Air India flight after a replacement crew was arranged.
