Tension at Bhubaneswar Airport as Air Asia flight delayed for 12 hrs

Bhubaneswar: Palpable tension prevailed at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here today after stranded air passengers created a ruckus protesting delay of a Bhubaneswar-Bangalore Air Asia flight for over 12 hours due to dense fog.

The irate passenger closed the boarding gate-4 at the airport when another Bhubaneswar-Hyderabad flight of the same airline was scheduled for departure. Sources said the the Hyderabad-bound Air Asia flight was also delayed for some time in the morning.

However, CISF personnel deployed at the airport pacified the angry passengers and brought the situation under control.

Sources said around 100 passengers, including a pregnant woman and kids have been stranded at the airport since last night as the I5-1563 Air Asia flight they were about to board at 10 PM yesterday is yet to take off. The airport authority said the flight has been delayed to to dense fog.

“We have been stranded here since last light. What is more upsetting is the airline authorities are not even clarifying any tentative time for take off of the flight. They have not even made any arrangements for us,” said an irate passenger.

When asked, the airport authorities said that another flight will be arranged soon to take the passengers to Bangalore.