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Airline passengers wait on the tarmac because pilots “went out of flight duty time”

Airline passengers wait on the tarmac because pilots “went out of flight duty time”
Transportation4 min read

  • IndiGo's flight 6E 2977 was supposed to depart at 10:40 pm on Sunday night but ended up taking off the next morning at 6:40 am.
  • The airline started boardings for the flight at 2.30am and due to the delays, its pilots “went out of flight duty time”.
  • IndiGo had no explanation as to why passengers were not taken back to the airport terminal.
Flight delays can be extremely stressful, but passengers of India’s low cost airlines, IndiGo, had to face a terrible situation when they were literally stranded at the Delhi airport tarmac for almost the entire night on Sunday.

IndiGo’s flight 6E 2977 headed to Bengaluru was supposed to depart at 10:40 pm on Sunday night but ended up taking off the next morning at 6:40 am, apparently due to the non-availability of staff. Passengers were stuck in the airport shuttle bus for hours with some even parking themselves on the tarmac and later waiting in the plane.

According to the airline, IndiGo had 30 diversions due to severe weather conditions leading to massive delays and cancellations across all airlines. Delhi, apparently, was the worst affected, including 70 diversions in all. The airline started boardings for the flight at 2.30am and due to the delays, its pilots “went out of flight duty time”. As a result, IndiGo had to arrange a new crew and extend the departure time.

Enraged passengers took Twitter to vent.

@IndiGo6E Flight no. 6E-2977 & 6E-2376 grounded for want of pilot. 7 Hrs. & counting.
And the best explanation they've come up with is, the previous pilot's duty hours were over. Seriously? pic.twitter.com/87O1dJEpY8

— Ajeetesh Pratap Singh (@ajzwayy) May 13, 2018 ]]>

DEL-BLR 6E2977 delayed by over 7 hours (22:40 to 6:40). Kept us like cattle in the bus. And then like dogs on the asphalt of the runway. Peanuts and frooti offered at 6:00 am. Not allowed to get on flight.

— Pranith Alagwadi (@i_ofthe_phoenix) May 14, 2018 ]]>

Stranded in #Delhi #IGI #T2 #Airport since 9:00 PM yesterday.
Flight is there.
Fuel is there.@IndiGo6E Color is there.
But NO #Captain or #CabinCrew to fly it to #Bangalore#Indigo#6E2977#KindOfAnWorstExperience pic.twitter.com/wZHuwW7KGq

— sudarshan goswami (@sud100289) May 14, 2018 ]]>

6E2977 was delayed by 4 hours is understandable due to bad weather. But as confirmed by ground staff, there were no captains to pilot the flight as shift was over. Surely you could foresee this catastrophe?

— Pranith Alagwadi (@i_ofthe_phoenix) May 14, 2018 ]]>

@IndiGo6E Flight 6E2977 schduld fr 22.40,lands at 2.02am due to bad wethr

Unofficially told by indigo staff to move to G22 at 2.45am

Officially told to move to G31 at 3.15am

Then put in bus at 3.40am

Then made to wait in bus by the runway till 4.10am.Then told it's cancelled! pic.twitter.com/TpjLvB0yGI

— Suhas Padil (@suhaspadil) May 13, 2018 ]]>

Now we're being told pilot will be here in 30mins and can officially board the plane and wait for them. But few people aren't still convinced pic.twitter.com/VVV4KUd3RG

— Suhas Padil (@suhaspadil) May 13, 2018 ]]>

While we wait for the pilot, a good gesture by @IndiGo6E staff with some biscuits and frooty pic.twitter.com/AqW5fjodWj

— Suhas Padil (@suhaspadil) May 13, 2018 ]]>

The ordeal didn’t end there. Apparently on arrival in Bengaluru, the baggage went missing.

How can flight delay explain for the missing baggage?
PNR No. DKJ2JR
Please explain @IndiGo6E.#IndigoDelay #6E2977 #MissingBaggages

— Ajeetesh Pratap Singh (@ajzwayy) May 14, 2018 ]]>

Strangely, IndiGo had no explanation as to why passengers were not taken back to the airport terminal or why they were offered no refreshment until morning.

Image source: Twitter, Ajeetesh Pratap Singh@ajzwayy

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