NEW DELHI: Chaos reigned at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport’s Terminal-3 on Friday after Lufthansa airline cancelled 800 flights across globe while two at IGI due to a pilots’ strike stranding hundreds of passengers.
Around 700 passengers were stranded at the IGI airport’s Terminal-3, police said. According to the police, more than 100 people, relatives and family members of the stranded passengers, gathered outside the airport and demanded refunds or alternate arrangements.
Police intervened to open channels of communication between airlines and passengers and the situation was normalised afterwards, said senior police official. “Information was received that a large crowd gathered on the main road in front of departure gate no. 1 Terminal 3 IGI Airport. Almost 150 people were protesting due to which there was major traffic jam,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI airport) Tanu Sharma.
She added, “The crowd was demanding a refund of money or alternate arrangements to be made for their relatives who were present inside.” The officials shared information of cancelled flights LH 761 (Delhi to Frankfurt) having 300 passengers and scheduled departure at 2.50 am and LH 763 (Delhi to Munich) having 400 passengers and scheduled departure at 1.10 am.
Efforts are being made to make alternate arrangements for the passengers, said the DCP. In a broadly circulated video, travellers can be heard yelling and demanding justice. A passenger tweeted, “My Flight no. LH 470 and LH 761 dated September 2 have been cancelled. We have been trying to call customer service since yesterday but got no response.”
Similarly, another passenger complained that her original flight for September 2 has been cancelled and she has been trying to contact Lufthansa as it has been rebooked to 3rd September as her visa expires earlier.