Stranded In Penang: IndiGo's Phuket Passengers Face Clogged Washrooms, Limited Food

Passengers on Indigo flight from Mumbai to Phuket experienced a distressing ordeal on Friday. The flight was diverted to Penang International Airport in Malaysia due to bad weather. Passengers reported clogged washrooms, a lack of food and water supplies, and being stranded on the tarmac for over three hours.

The flight, originally scheduled to land in Phuket at 10:30 am (Malaysian Time), was forced to land in Penang at around 11:00 am. Passengers were reportedly not allowed to disembark, according to an NDTV Profit team member on board. The flight landed in Phuket a short while ago after taking off around 2:55 p.m. Malaysian time.

This was IndiGo's first landing at Penang International Airport, and the airline did not have the necessary approvals, according to people in the know.

Adding to the passengers' discomfort, the aircraft had also run out of drinking water, as confirmed by the NDTV Profit team member. Despite the worrying situation, the airline continued to only sell food to passengers.

“In response to adverse weather conditions in Phuket, flight operating from Mumbai to Phuket, has been diverted to Penang, Malaysia, the nearest airport. This diversion, despite having no direct IndiGo connections, was carried out as a necessary precaution to ensure the safety of the passengers,” said IndiGo in an official statement.

“The process of securing the required permissions to operate to Phuket is underway and may take some time. Passengers have been fully informed of the unexpected detour. In the meantime, refreshments have been provided to ensure their comfort,” said the airline.

“The journey to Phuket will resume as soon as weather conditions permit safe operations,” said IndiGo.

In a similar incident in April 2023, Indigo's Mumbai-Istanbul flight was diverted to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, where passengers were also stranded for over three hours.