1 day ago
Suspected Bird Hit Cancels Air India Express Pune-Chandigarh Flight
An Air India Express plane was supposed to fly from Pune to Chandigarh on Sunday.
Engineers found signs of a possible bird hit before takeoff.
They tried to fix the technical problem, but the flight was cancelled.
Passengers said they waited inside the plane for nearly three hours.
One passenger said the airline did not offer an alternate flight.
Air India Express said safety was the most important reason for cancelling.
The airline said passengers received refreshments and could reschedule or get full refunds.
A similar incident on August 19 also caused another flight and a later service to be cancelled.
An Air India Express Pune-Chandigarh flight was cancelled Sunday after engineers detected a suspected bird hit.
Passengers reportedly waited inside the aircraft for nearly three hours before disembarking.
The airline said safety concerns required the cancellation and that refreshments, rescheduling, and full refunds were offered.
A passenger alleged that no alternate flight was provided and staff did not directly address concerns.
A similar suspected bird-hit cancellation on August 19 disrupted an Amritsar-Pune flight and a subsequent Pune-Delhi service.
- Who
- Air India Express and passengers on its Pune-Chandigarh flight.
- What
- A scheduled flight was cancelled after engineers detected a suspected bird hit and related technical issue.
- Where
- The disruption occurred in Pune on a flight scheduled to travel to Chandigarh; the earlier incident involved Amritsar and Pune.
- When
- Sunday; the flight was scheduled to depart at 3:45 am. A similar incident occurred on August 19.
- Why
- The airline said the cancellation was made to protect passenger safety after the suspected bird hit was detected.
Passenger Concerns
Airline Explanation
Waiting and assistance
Passenger Concerns
A passenger said flyers waited inside the aircraft for nearly three hours, were not offered an alternate flight, and could not get direct answers from airline staff.
Airline Explanation
Air India Express apologised for the prolonged wait and said refreshments, rescheduling options, and full refunds without additional charges were offered.
Reason for cancellation
Passenger Concerns
Passengers faced a cancelled trip after boarding and described the experience as highly disruptive and costly.
Airline Explanation
The airline said the suspected bird hit created a technical issue and that cancelling was necessary because passenger safety was its highest priority.
Key facts
- Airline
- Air India Express
- Affected flight
- Pune to Chandigarh
- Scheduled departure
- 3:45 am from Pune
- Scheduled arrival
- 6:05 am in Chandigarh
- Passenger wait
- Nearly three hours inside the aircraft
- Airline response
- Refreshments, rescheduling options, and full refunds without additional charges were offered, according to the airline
- Earlier disruption
- An August 19 suspected bird hit cancelled an Amritsar-Pune flight and a subsequent Pune-Delhi service
Quotes
An onboard passenger
Passenger travelling on the cancelled Pune-Chandigarh flight
“Flyers were kept waiting inside the aircraft for three hours before being informed of the cancellation. The airline didn’t offer an alternate flight, and the staff were unwilling to come and address passenger concerns directly. Though the ground staff communicated, no one took accountability”
indianexpress.com
“Passenger safety remains our highest priority, and such decisions are taken only in the interest of safe operations.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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