NEW DELHI: Thunderstorm and heavy winds lashed Delhi on Tuesday night, forcing the diversion of 15 incoming flights during the period to Jaipur, Lucknow and even Mumbai. Spicejet’s Dubai-New Delhi flight (SG 5106) carrying 63 passengers was among those flights diverted to Jaipur. However, flyers stranded in Jaipur were forced to take a bus to Delhi as the duty hours of the cockpit crew on board had completed!
"After the plane reached Jaipur and was parked there waiting for the airline to receive clearance to fly back, the prescribed operational hours in one shift got over. So, the airline decided to transport the passengers by bus to Delhi. As it happens during such situations, the passengers grew a bit irate and there was a bit of chaos at the airport."
"Most passengers decided to use this option while a few decided to stay with their relatives or friends at Jaipur instead," he added.
While Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) were often bypassed in the past by most airlines he aviation regulator, the DGCA, has been very strict about it since last year with heavy penalties levied for violations.
In a statement, Spicejet said, “By the time weather conditions improved and the flight was cleared for departure, the operating crew had exceeded the permissible Flight Duty Time Limitations and were therefore legally unable to operate the flight further.”
As Jaipur is an offline station for SpiceJet, positioning replacement crew and the necessary operational support from other stations would have taken additional time, it said.
The airline cancelled its service from Dubai to Delhi on Wednesday., according to online flight tracking platforms.
An official at Jaipur airport said the airport had a nightmarish time on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday as nine flights from Delhi landed post midnight after being diverted here while two flights were diverted late evening.
The airport was jampacked with distressed passengers keen on returning to Delhi.
"Along with staff of different airlines, airport staff offered refreshments and drinks to the passengers and did whatever we could to make them comfortable," he said.