Mumbai airport expansion work delaying flights

Mumbai: Jetlite passengers at Indore airport were made to wait for 12 hours after their 8.30pm flight developed a technical snag. Even as airline officials dithered over giving clear instruction on alternate arrangements, passengers alleged that a CISF commandant turned off the air-conditioning at the terminal in order to try and get them to leave.

Respite came at 3am when JetLite officials offered them accommodation and arranged to get another flight organised.

"The way the Jet people behaved, the way the airline officials behaved; it's a disgrace," says a passenger.

"I had to face the wrath of the official because I was too scared to leave the airport in case he wouldn't give me a boarding pass," says another passenger AK Jain.

Jet Airways says that affected guests were offered accommodation and it sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to its guests.

But it was not a one-off case. Mumbai airport authorities say flights during the day are seeing half-an-hour delays on an average in both arrivals and departures with the main runway remaining shut from 9am to 5pm due to construction work.

On-ground congestion due to the construction work on the tarmac at Mumbai airport, coupled with the fact that the rapid exit taxiways are not in use when the main runway is closed, are leading to a cascading effect of delays both to and from the airport.

Airlines say delays in taxiing onto and off the optional runway currently being used in the day is causing most aircraft to miss their time slots for the other flights.

Till the airport's expansion plan is completed, Mumbai's overburdened airport will continue to face turbulence on the ground.