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News18
31-07-2025
- News18
Wrong Flight, Wrong City: Air India Express Flies Passenger To Bhubaneswar Instead Of Bagdogra
An Air India Express passenger mistakenly flew from Delhi to Bhubaneswar instead of Bagdogra. The airline returned him to Delhi, and sent him to Bagdogra the next day. An Air India Express passenger who was supposed to travel from Srinagar to Bagdogra via Delhi on Wednesday (July 30) ended up in Bhubaneswar. The reason behind this is that the passenger remained on the plane after landing in Delhi, and it took off for Bhubaneswar with him still on board. The airline discovered the error en route and later flew him back to Delhi, accommodated him in a hotel, and then sent him to Bagdogra the next day. The airline has informed the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, which will probe this lapse and take suitable action. Citing the sources, the Times of India said that the 'young man" boarded an AI Express Airbus A320 (VT-EXA) operating on Wednesday as IX 1128 from Srinagar to Delhi. He was to take a connecting flight to Bagdogra. 'Repeated announcements are made asking transit passengers to head to the transfer desk. This aircraft, VT-EXA, was to operate to Bhubaneswar from Delhi, also as IX 1128. For reasons not yet known, like perhaps the young man dozed off, he did not alight from the aircraft in Delhi once it landed here at 3.05 pm," sources said. The plane departed for Bhubaneswar at 3:55 pm. Notably, airlines typically conduct a headcount to ensure the passenger manifest matches the actual number of people on board before takeoff. However, in this case, that was perhaps not done. During the flight, the airline discovered an extra passenger on board, but the exact circumstances of the discovery remain unclear, including whether the crew detected the error or the passenger alerted them to being on the wrong flight. 'The crew then informed the pilots, who in turn informed the airline. When this aircraft landed, AI Express teams were there who put him on the return flight, the same aircraft was to operate to Delhi. Once he reached here Wednesday night, the airline put him up in a hotel and then flew him to Bagdogra on Thursday," sources said. 'On July 30, a guest transiting through Delhi on another flight inadvertently continued on the aircraft onward to Bhubaneswar. An internal investigation is being conducted to identify and address any lapses, while reiterating SOPs and internal briefings across stations to prevent recurrence," an Air India Express spokesperson said. While occasional boarding mix-ups occur, it's uncommon for a passenger to remain on a flight to its next destination. To prevent such incidents, airlines like Air India have protocols in place, especially for wide-body aircraft with multiple legs, such as ensuring passengers disembark after their designated sector. view comments First Published: July 31, 2025, 15:40 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Time of India
Bagdogra-bound AI Express flyer from Srinagar lands in Bhubaneswar; didn't change planes in Delhi
New Delhi: In a security lapse, an Air India Express passenger who was supposed to travel from Srinagar to Bagdogra via Delhi on Wednesday (July 30) ended up in Bhubaneswar. The reason: This young man somehow remained on board the aircraft on landing in Delhi and then the plane took off for its next flight which was to Bhubaneswar with him. Enroute the airline realised there's an extra person on the flight. He was flown back to Delhi from Bhubaneswar; put up in a hotel here and then flown to Bagdogra on Thursday. The airline has informed the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security which will probe this lapse and take suitable action. According to sources, the 'young man' boarded an AI Express Airbus A320 (VT-EXA) operating on Wednesday as IX 1128 from Srinagar to Delhi. He was to take a connecting flight to Bagdogra. 'Repeated announcements are made asking transit passengers to head to the transfer desk. This aircraft VT-EXA was to operate to Bhubaneswar from Delhi also as IX 1128. For reasons not yet known, like perhaps the young man dozed off, he did not alight from the aircraft in Delhi once it landed here at 3.05 pm,' sources said. The plane then took off for Bhubaneswar at 3.55 pm. Airlines do a headcount on the number of passengers onboard to tally with their booking before taking off. However, in this case that was perhaps not done. Enroute, the airline realised there's an extra passenger on board. How did this happen — whether the crew found on their own or the 'young man' reached out to them to say he is on a wrong flight — is not yet know. 'The crew then informed the pilots, who in turn informed the airline. When this aircraft landed, AI Express teams were there who put him on the return flight the same aircraft was to operate to Delhi. Once he reached here Wednesday night, the airline put him up in a hotel and then flew him to Bagdogra on Thursday,' sources said. An Air India Express spokesperson said: "On July 30, a guest transiting through Delhi on another flight inadvertently continued on the aircraft onward to Bhubaneswar. An internal investigation is being conducted to identify and address any lapses, while reiterating SOPs and internal briefings across stations to prevent recurrence." There have been a some boarding time goof ups where passengers have inadvertently boarded a wrong plane but staying onboard and flying to the next destination the aircraft operates to is not too common. For many years there's a special protocol in place to ensure something like does not happen on Air India wide body aircraft that do a domestic flight and then operate abroad. Say a Boeing 777 flying Delhi-Mumbai-New York will ensure passengers booked for the Delhi-Mumbai sector alone do not stay on board when the aircraft operates to NYC.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Time of India
Technical issues ground 2 Air India Express planes
Tech issues ground 2 AI Express planes Surat-bound passengers on two Air India Express flights faced inconvenience on Friday due to technical snags. A flight from Bangkok was grounded after a suspected bird hit on landing in the Thai capital. Though the Boeing 737 Max landed safely, it couldn't operate the return leg. About 180 passengers were stranded, later given hotel stays and the option to reschedule or cancel with a full refund. The airline is flying engineering support and material to Bangkok. Meanwhile, flight IX-2749 from Jaipur via Bengaluru was delayed. The aircraft earlier reported an AC failure. Scheduled to depart at 11.30 am, it was first held up due to a "technical fault", then by a runway closure. Later, the crew cited engine overheating.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
‘Bird hit' grounds AI Express plane in Bangkok; may fly to Surat on Saturday
New Delhi/Surat: Passengers on two Surat-bound flights were forced to deboard on Friday due to technical issues. The affected flights were from Thailand to Surat and the one operating on the Jaipur–Bengaluru–Surat route. Air India Express Surat-Bangkok flight of Friday suffered a suspected bird arrival when it was about to land at its destination. The Boeing 737MAX landed safely and was grounded there. As a result, the aircraft could not operate the return Bangkok-Surat flight. "There were about 180 passengers who were supposed to fly to Surat. All guests were provided with hotel accommodation by the airline and gave them options including rescheduling to any other date or cancellation with full refund," said AI Express sources. The airline is flying engineering support and material on a flight to Bangkok. The aircraft is expected to take off from Bangkok on Saturday afternoon. Akash Mashruwala, a Surat-based professional returning from Bangkok, said, "We were made to sit inside the aircraft even as the ground crew worked to fix a technical issue. After an hour, the crew announced that we would have to deboard. We were told the issue would be resolved in a couple of hours, but we ended up waiting at the departure terminal for nearly six hours. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Eventually, around 10pm, we were allotted hotel accommodation. A replacement flight has been scheduled for Saturday afternoon." A similar situation unfolded on Air India Express flight IX-2749, scheduled to arrive in Surat from Jaipur via Bengaluru. A passenger working with a private firm told TOI, "The same aircraft had already reported an AC failure on its incoming leg (IX-2768) but was still cleared for another journey." The flight, originally scheduled for 11:30 am, was first delayed due to a 'technical fault', and later further postponed to 5pm citing a runway closure at Jaipur from 2pm to 5pm. At 5pm, passengers were informed that the aircraft's engine needed to cool down after overheating. "As the cabin became unbearably hot and suffocating, with infants crying, several passengers demanded to deboard. Initially, the crew resisted, but eventually opened the gates when the situation worsened," he added. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Time of India
‘Bird hit' grounds Air India Express plane in Bangkok; may fly to Surat on Saturday
File photo NEW DELHI/SURAT: Passengers on two Surat-bound flights were forced to deboard on Friday due to technical issues. The affected flights were from Thailand to Surat and the one operating on the Jaipur–Bengaluru–Surat route. Air India Express Surat-Bangkok flight of Friday suffered a suspected bird arrival when it was about to land at its destination. The Boeing 737MAX landed safely and was grounded there. As a result, the aircraft could not operate the return Bangkok-Surat flight. "There were about 180 passengers who were supposed to fly to Surat. All guests were provided with hotel accommodation by the airline and gave them options including rescheduling to any other date or cancellation with full refund," said AI Express sources. The airline is flying engineering support and material on a flight to Bangkok. The aircraft is expected to take off from Bangkok on Saturday afternoon. Akash Mashruwala, a Surat-based professional returning from Bangkok, said, 'We were made to sit inside the aircraft even as the ground crew worked to fix a technical issue. After an hour, the crew announced that we would have to deboard. We were told the issue would be resolved in a couple of hours, but we ended up waiting at the departure terminal for nearly six hours. Eventually, around 10pm, we were allotted hotel accommodation. A replacement flight has been scheduled for Saturday afternoon.' A similar situation unfolded on Air India Express flight IX-2749, scheduled to arrive in Surat from Jaipur via Bengaluru. A passenger working with a private firm told TOI, 'The same aircraft had already reported an AC failure on its incoming leg (IX-2768) but was still cleared for another journey.' The flight, originally scheduled for 11:30 am, was first delayed due to a 'technical fault', and later further postponed to 5pm citing a runway closure at Jaipur from 2pm to 5pm. At 5pm, passengers were informed that the aircraft's engine needed to cool down after overheating. 'As the cabin became unbearably hot and suffocating, with infants crying, several passengers demanded to deboard. Initially, the crew resisted, but eventually opened the gates when the situation worsened,' he added.
