Tirupati-bound flight diverted to Bengaluru due to bad weather, lands safely
TIRUPATI: A Rajahmundry-Tirupati Indigo flight with nearly 35 passengers on board was diverted to the Bengaluru airport due to bad weather conditions on Tuesday afternoon, airport officials said.
The flight, which left the Rajahmundry airport at 9.20 am, was supposed to reach Tirupati at 10.20 am. However, the aircraft later landed in the Bengaluru airport without landing in Tirupati, after reportedly being airborne for more than an hour.
“Although the aircraft hovered in the air for almost an hour, the weather condition didn’t improve, following which it was diverted to Bengaluru. The aircraft is expected to return to Tirupati after getting refuelled there,” a top official of the airport told this newspaper.
While the airline has not commented on the development, Nagari MLA R.K. Roja, who was on board the flight along with former finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu and others, shared a video stating that the flight was circling in the air for more than an hour.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle about her ordeal over the phone, Roja fumed at the airliner for not giving them a proper clarification on why the flight had to be diverted. “We were in a panic when the aircraft hovered in the air for more than an hour before landing in Tirupati. Even after landing at Bengaluru safely, we (passengers) were not allowed to get off the flight and we were stuck inside it for almost four hours,” Roja said.
She alleged that the cabin crew were not bothered to give the passengers any clarification about the issue and they didn’t give permission to get off the
aircraft after landing at Bengaluru. “I recently underwent a major surgery and
it is very difficult for me to sit for a long time, and there were many elderly
persons in the flight, who also suffocated inside the flight sitting for hours
together,” she rued.
The actor-turned politician also accused the IndiGo authorities of asking passengers to pay Rs. 5,000 when they asked to open the aircraft doors to get down in the Bengaluru airport. “The airliner asked us to pay Rs 5,000 as charges because they had no permission to land in Bengaluru. They told us that if we don't pay the said amount, we will not be allowed to get off the flight for security reasons," she alleged.
Meanwhile, as per the reports reaching here, MLA Roja and a few passengers were later allowed to get down the aircraft at the Bengaluru airport and all passengers were stated to be safe. Officials at the Tirupati Airport said that the flight will come back to Tirupati after refuelling.
