The Hindu : AI operates Jumbo flight

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 29, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

AI operates Jumbo flight

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM April 28. Air India today operated the scheduled Jumbo flight in the Riyadh-Mumbai-Kozhikode-Thiruvananthapuram-Riyadh sector despite the pilots' stir caused by the refusal of the Indian Pilot's Guild to fly with the cabin or cockpit crew who had travelled to the SARS-affected countries during the last 10 days.

The 747 aircraft, which was to arrive here at 11-50 p.m. and depart at 1-35 p.m. finally arrived at 2-30 p.m. The flight later left for Riyadh via Mumbai with 185 passengers who boarded from the international airport here, according to AI official.

The 30-odd passengers who were stranded in the capital city and bound to New York, London, Zurich, Riyadh and Dammam were also sent in today's jumbo flight by the airline. This was for the first time that AI is operating Jumbo flight, which has a seat capacity of 420, from the international airport.

However, the airline cancelled AI 983, the other scheduled flight in the Dubai-Thiruvananthapuram-Dubai sector in view of the stir. "There are no stranded passengers for the airline in the State capital and the flights to various destinations were going with 70 per cent occupancy,'' the official said.

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