A FLY91 flight from Hyderabad to Hubbali was diverted to Bengaluru, Karnataka, but ended up circling around various regions in the state for four hours, citing bad weather, causing panic and confusion among passengers.
Video footage showed passengers in various states of distress, with some crying and praying while others asked the onboard staff why the aircraft was undertaking such a maneouvre.
The plane flew over Mundgod, Davanagere, and Shivamogga, as the regional Goa-based airline's flight IC3401 did not initiate a landing due to bad weather.
What Happened To The Flight
Flight IC3401 departed from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, Telangana at 3 p.m. on Sunday and was scheduled to land at 4:30 p.m. at Hubbali, Karnataka. The pilots decided to terminate the scheduled landing due to weather tubulence.
This lead to the plane circling around Karantaka for four hours, hovering over Mundgod, Davanagere, and Shivamogga, as the regional Goa-based airline's flight did not initiate a landing due to bad weather.
"We are holding. We will keep you updated. Have patience, kindly follow instructions," the pilot was heard informing the passengers in videos that were taken by some of them during the ordeal.
They were also heard expressing furstration with the airline, alleging improper communication and irregular updates. Passengers were also heard informing the staff on board to ask the pilot to land in Bengaluru stating that it was closeby.
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Which the flight ultimately ended up doing, landing at 7:30 p.m. in Kempegowda International Airport after multiple attempts.
FLY91 maintained that the plane did not have any technical issues and attributed the notable delay to bad weather conditions. It stated that the airline ensured "zero compromise to safety" in a public statement.
"Holding the aircraft over Hubballi and diverting to Bengaluru was part of the standard operating procedure. This is among the best practices adopted by the industry," the airline said.
"FLY91 has a highly skilled team of pilots, cabin crew and ground staff which are trained to manage any situation which may come up. The regional airline has an impeccable safety record. Information in some news reports pointing to a technical issue faced by the aircraft is false and baseless," it added.
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