60 flyers stay put in plane after Singapore flight is cancelled

Mumbai Mirror Bureau

Sixty passengers booked on connecting flights to Australia and New Zealand created a ruckus on board a Jet Airways flight to Singapore, when they refused to get off the plane after it was cancelled following a four hour delay in takeoff due to a technical snag.

The passengers alleged that the Jet Airways, which has an arrangement with Australia’s national carrier Qantas, told them that it will take up to three days to accommodate them on connecting flights to Australia and New Zealand, following which they refused to deplane till they were provided accommodation. After an hourlong standoff, the offered to put up all 60 passengers at hotels near the airport.

The flight 9W010 was scheduled for takeoff from Mumbai at 9.50 am, and the problem was noticed just when the plane approached the runway. The passengers said that three hours later, they were told the flight was cleared for takeoff, but the problem resurfaced and the aircraft was brought back to the bay. An hour later, it was announced that the flight had been cancelled.

“On both occasions, the pilot only announced that there was a delay due to a technical problem. There was no clarity whatsoever, no further announcements, and suddenly, we were told that the flight had been cancelled,” said a Melbourne-bound passenger, Manish Shah.

Bandra resident Jeetpal Jain said spending three days at Singapore was “out of question”, as the transit visa to Singapore lasts only 24 hours. “How could the airline even expect us to fly to Singapore and wait three days for connecting flights?” He asked. A few passengers also alleged that the travel portals showed flights were available for their onward journey, but the Jet staff claimed those were unavailable.

The flyers said they were hoping to be accommodated on the Singapore bound flights early Friday, even as the airline said it could never compromise on safety.

“The Flight 9W 010 returned to bay twice following a technical snag and was rescheduled. With a few guests choosing not to fly, the rescheduled flight took off a four-hour delay. Safety is of paramount importance to the airline and inconvenience caused to our guests is regretted,” a statement issued by the airline said.

The flyers’ relatives slammed the airline, saying no information was forthcoming. A Singapore resident, Abhishek Sharma, said: “My 65-yearold father-in-law was on that flight, and he wasn’t provided water for close to eight hours. I was kept on hold for 45 minutes when I called up their call centre.”

60 flyers stay put in plane after Singapore flight is cancelled