Pilot Leaves International Flight in Jaipur: Duty Time Completed; 180 Passengers Stranded for 9 Hours

An Air India international flight traveling from Paris to Delhi was left stranded at Jaipur airport after the pilot departed, citing the completion of their duty time. The flight had more than 180 passengers on board, who were left distressed at the airport for nine hours. Eventually, they were sent to Delhi by road.

The Air India flight AI-2022 had departed Paris at 10 PM on Sunday night and was scheduled to land in Delhi at 10:35 AM on Monday. Due to poor weather conditions, the flight could not land in Delhi. Following instructions from the Air Traffic Control system, the pilot diverted the flight to Jaipur airport, where it landed at 12:10 PM. The pilot continued waiting for clearance from Air Traffic Control for the flight to proceed.

By midday, clearance had not been received, and the pilot, citing the completion of their duty time, left the aircraft. As a result, the 180+ passengers remained stranded at Jaipur airport until 9 PM. During this time, some passengers became agitated and demanded arrangements for an alternative flight.

Over 180 Passengers Stuck at Jaipur Airport for 9 Hours

More than 180 passengers were left frustrated for nearly 9 hours at Jaipur airport. During this time, the airport authorities tried to alleviate the passengers’ dissatisfaction by providing them with food.

The passengers began demanding an alternative flight to Delhi. However, the airline staff did not arrange for any such flight. Eventually, some passengers were sent to Delhi via private vehicles, while others were provided with a bus service arranged by the airline.

Jaipur Becomes Substitute Airport for Delhi Amid Poor Weather

In May, the parking area at Jaipur airport was expanded, increasing its capacity from 19 to 36 aircraft. Additionally, a parallel taxiway has been completed, allowing for smoother operations.

As a result, in cases of poor weather in Delhi, most flights are now being diverted to Jaipur. Since November 13, a total of 29 flights have been diverted to Jaipur airport.

15 Flights Diverted from Delhi to Jaipur Due to Bad Weather

On Monday, 15 flights were diverted from Delhi to Jaipur airport due to adverse weather conditions. These included flights from cities such as Indore, Bengaluru, Pune, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Washington, Dharamshala, Paris, and Vijayawada.

However, most of these flights took off for Delhi again after receiving clearance from the Air Traffic Control system within a few hours. The flight from Paris, however, faced significant delays in receiving clearance, leaving more than 180 passengers stranded and frustrated at Jaipur airport for an extended period.