Air India flight, with Pak envoy onboard, cancelled after technical snag

Kolkata: A New Delhi-bound Air India flight from Kolkata, with Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit onboard among other passengers, was cancelled due to a technical snag on Sunday evening.

"The New Delhi-bound flight was ready for take off from Kolkata and while pushing back the aircraft from the parking bay, the pilot noticed a technical problem and informed the ground staff," the Air India spokesperson said.

"Engineers examined the aircraft thoroughly, but the snag could not be rectified and the aircraft was declared unfit to fly," he said.

All 237 passengers were de-boarded and 50 of them including Basit were accommodated in another subsequent flight to Delhi, the spokesperson said, adding, the rest of the passengers would be accommodated in another flight on Monday morning.

According to reports, the passengers were made to wait in the aircraft for 13 hours.