Air India Express announces recovery flights after Bengaluru-Kathmandu flight diversions
Bengaluru, February 28
Air India Express on Saturday announced Bengaluru-Kathmandu "recovery flight" following a string of weather-related diversions that left passengers stranded for two consecutive days.
In a statement, an Air India Express spokesperson said, "Due to adverse weather in Kathmandu, our Bengaluru-Kathmandu flights on 26 and 27 February were diverted. An additional flight operated today to recover guests from yesterday's disrupted service was also diverted for the same reason."
The airline said that affected passengers have been provided hotel accommodation and were offered the option of complimentary rescheduling or full-refund cancellation.
"We regret the inconvenience caused due to factors beyond the airline's control," the spokesperson added.
Earlier on February 25, a New Delhi-bound Air India flight stood on the runway at the Mumbai Airport, delayed from its scheduled departure time of 3:25 pm.
According to sources, the Air India Mumbai to Delhi flight AI 1851 was on the runway at Mumbai airport for more than 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, in 2021, the Government announced that the Tata group made a winning bid of Rs 18,000 crore for Air India. Subsequently, on October 25, 2021, the Indian government inked a share purchase agreement with the Tata Group for the handover of Air India.
On January 27, 2021, the Tata group took ownership of Air India.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is why I prefer direct trains for shorter international routes sometimes. At least you're not stuck in an airport for days. Air travel in our region is becoming too unpredictable.
The Tatas have taken over, but old problems persist. Maybe they need more time to turn things around. Still, offering full refunds is a good customer-first move. Jai Ho!
My cousin was on one of these flights! She said the ground staff in Bengaluru were trying their best but were clearly overwhelmed. Safety first, of course, but the logistics need work.
Kathmandu weather in Feb is always tricky. Airlines should have better contingency plans for this route, especially during this season. It's not like this is a surprise every year.
Respectfully, while weather is beyond control, the article also mentions a 45-min runway delay in Mumbai for a Delhi flight. That seems like an operational issue. The new management needs to look at systemic improvements, not just react to crises.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.