Date:29/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/29/stories/2008032961990300.htm

New Delhi

A planeload of trouble at Delhi airport

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Angry passengers of a JetLite flight bound for Goa on Friday afternoon blamed Union Minister of State for Women and Child Welfare Renuka Chowdhury for delaying their departure from Indira Gandhi International Airport here.

For her part, the Minister clarified that she was not in any way responsible for the delay as she too was waiting at the terminal after being informed by the airline officials that the flight was running behind schedule. She said the passengers were upset not because of her, but because the carrier had not informed them of the delay.

Flight S2 117, which was scheduled to leave Delhi at 12-15 p.m., was re-scheduled for 1-30 p.m. as the aircraft was coming from Mumbai and had arrived late. “Later our pilot informed us that it would take 15 more minutes for the flight to take off and since we bring the VIPs at the last minute, we asked Ms. Chowdhury to wait for some time. She reached the aircraft at 1-45 p.m. and the flight took off at 1-50 p.m.,” said an airline official.

Chaotic situation

Ms. Chowdhury said her only fault was she walked into a chaotic situation.

“The airline did not tell the passengers about the delay. They were already angry, agitated and upset. They were screaming and demanded they be given water and refreshments. I hardly blame them. In fact, some of the passengers said they wanted their ticket fare back,” the Union Minister told The Hindu. “Initially some women screamed at me. That was because the steward had told the passengers that the entire delay was because of a ‘Goa Tourism Minister’. He was an inexperienced man and did not know how to handle the crowd,” Ms. Chowdhury said.