BENGALURU: Around 58 departing flights from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) were delayed on Wednesday, according to flight tracking website Skyscanner. Of them, IndiGo held the majority with 29 reported delays at the time of writing.
According to a source from Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the delays were due to “operational reasons” from the airlines, and had nothing to do with the airport itself.
"A third-party system disruption has been affecting check-in systems at various airports, resulting in delays across multiple airlines, including Air India. Our airport teams are working diligently to ensure a smooth check-in experience for all passengers. While the system is progressively getting restored, some of our flights may continue to experience delays until the situation fully normalises," said Air India in a statement on X. The airline suffered six delays.
Air India Express, which according to Skyscanner suffered 12 delays, had three of their aircraft pushed back from the gate, and had them come back with the pilots refusing to fly.
“Three of our flights departing from Bengaluru today were delayed by approximately 1 to 1.5 hours after the flight crew elected to return to the bay as a precautionary safety measure, in line with standard operating procedures. All aircraft were inspected by our engineering teams and cleared for operations after the necessary checks were completed. We regret the inconvenience and appreciate the patience and understanding of our guests. Safety remains our highest priority, and we are committed to upholding the strongest operational and engineering standards,” said an Air India Express spokesperson.
Of the rest, Star Air suffered three delays, and SpiceJet suffered two delays. Akasa Air, Singapore Airlines, Batik Air Malaysia, Air France, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, and Kuwait Airway all suffered one delay each.