BENGALURU: Flyers on board an Akasa Air flight from Mumbai to Bengaluru were left fuming inside their aircraft on Wednesday night as the shuttle bus arrived after a 40-minute delay.
The flight had already arrived 21 minutes late at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) following a delayed departure from Chhatrapati Shivaji airport.
Flight no. QP 1306 was supposed to depart from Mumbai at 7 pm but it took off only at 7.25 pm and reached KIA at 9.11 pm instead of its scheduled arrival at 8.50 pm. The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, which can seat over 200 passengers, was stated to be full.
Speaking to TNIE, Rishita Singh, a Bengalurean said, “The flight had already started late by 25 minutes from Mumbai. While the flight was in air only, an announcement was made about a change in the parking bay for the flight. After landing, we had to remain seated inside.”
Upon landing, the shuttle bus was nowhere in sight, Singh alleged. “People got angry and wanted to just get down and walk, which was obviously not possible. A senior citizen was seated next to me while a baby was crying,” she narrated.
The passengers finally got out of the plane at 10.10 pm instead of their scheduled time of 8.50 pm, Singh said.
An airline spokesperson claimed that flight QP 1306 experienced a delay in deplaning upon arrival at Bengaluru airport "due to air traffic congestion", adding that "at Akasa Air, passenger comfort is of utmost importance and we sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers.”