Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) Terminal 2 in Bengaluru experienced a moment of tension when an Etihad Airways flight (EY239) carrying over 180 passengers to Abu Dhabi was unexpectedly cancelled on November 26.
The repercussions extended to travellers heading from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the United States (US). The airline later confirmed that the cancellation was attributed to a technical glitch.
Reportedly, Etihad flight EY239 was due to depart at 9:45 pm. When the cancellation was announced, all passengers had already received their boarding passes and had finished the immigration process. “It was extremely disappointing and unexpected as we were waiting at the gate minutes before boarding… some fellow passengers received calls on their phones stating the flight had been cancelled while the rest remained clueless on the flight’s fate,” said a passenger who was on his way to New York via Abu Dhabi, as quoted by Times of India. The passenger was eventually accommodated on a flight to Kuwait at 4 am, from which he flew to the United States, reports add.
Reportedly, the passengers who were affected due to the abrupt cancellation got into arguments with Etihad ground staff. Some passengers were accommodated on a Lufthansa flight to the UAE, while Etihad provided a few others with hotel accommodations.
Meanwhile, another passenger, who wished to remain anonymous, said that when he looked up flight tickets for Sunday, November 26, after the unexpected cancellation, he was startled to see that the cost had increased by three times.
In addition, the airport staff told the travellers that they could apply online for a refund for the cancelled flight and that the funds would be issued later.
Over 100 passengers on a SpiceJet flight from Pune to Dubai experienced a delay of more than ten hours. Passengers claimed that delays on the direct flight from Pune to the Middle East have become the norm.
The flight, SG-51, scheduled for an 8 pm departure on November 22, eventually took off at 6:20 am on November 23. Passengers voiced dissatisfaction with the lack of communication and facilities during the prolonged delay. Tour operators have also expressed worry about the potential impact of these delays on customer satisfaction.
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