Angry with 5-hour delay, IndiGo passengers in Delhi break rules, exit plane

New Delhi: A Guwahati-bound IndiGo flight was delayed by five hours at Delhi airport due to bad weather on Wednesday, triggering protest by a group of passengers. Angered by the delay, some of the 177 passengers in the IndiGo Airbus A320 aircraft came out on the tarmac and allegedly tried to block the taxiway, news agency PTI reported.

The Central Industrial Security Force's (CISF) personnel stopped the passengers, who came out from the IndiGo plane, from gathering and walking on the tarmac, CISF sources said.

Flight operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport were partially affected on Wednesday evening after a dust storm hit the national capital and neighbouring states. Twenty-one flights were diverted from IGI Airport, officials said.

Angry passengers in the Guwahati-bound IndiGo flight number 6E-694 alleged that the airline did not inform them of the delay and changed departure time. A few passengers also tried to block the taxiway but their attempt was thwarted by the CISF personnel.

IndiGo, however, in a statement said it is not aware of passengers getting out of the aircraft, and denied allegations that the passengers were not told about the delay. The airline said it regretted the "inconvenience caused to the passengers", and attributed the delay to weather conditions and a change in crew as well.

The flight which was to take off at 6:30 pm left Delhi at 11:30 pm, airport officials said.

The airline said the incoming aircraft which was scheduled for Guwahati arrived late due to the dust storm. Boarding started at 8:15 pm, but with the thunderstorm in Delhi intensifying, the aircraft could not depart and had to wait for a "respective departure slot", IndiGo said in the statement.

Departure was further delayed as the pilots went off flight duty time and a new crew was arranged, who had to wait for the departure slots to be given.

"It is common practice that after boarding, the passengers are kept on board to make use of any departure slot that is coming available," the airline said.

The passengers were provided accommodation and ground transportation at Guwahati after they landed, IndiGo said.

(With inputs from PTI)