Protest-filled Eid for two AI flights

KOCHI: Passengers onboard two aircraft from the Gulf, most of whom were coming home for Eid, protested when bad weather at the Kozhikode airport forced Air India to divert their flights to Thiruvananthapuram today. An airline spokesperson here said the two flights -- Abu Dhabi-Calicut with 163 passengers and Dubai-Calicut with 48 passengers -- could not land at the airport due to bad weather and poor visibility and were diverted to Thiruvananthapuram.

Passengers of the Dubai-Calicut flight refused to deboard the plane at Thiruvananthapuram and demanded that the same flight take them to Kozhikode. Air India sources said crew of the two flights went into flight duty time limitations as per which they cannot fly for more than nine hours at a stretch.

The airlines arranged for an extra set of crew and operated the Abu Dhabi-Calicut flight. The 186-seater flight had 23 seats vacant and passengers with families and children of the Dubai-Calicut flight were asked to board the flight, which they refused, the airline said.

The 48 passengers were then asked to board the Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi-Riyadh flight, which landed here at 1.10 pm. They were provided food and taken in AC coaches to Kozhikode and Kannur.

Another vehicle has been arranged to carry their luggage also, the sources said.