Muscat: About 120 passengers, including a pregnant woman and infants, were stranded at the Muscat International Airport on Saturday after an Air India Express aircraft developed a technical snag.
“We have had a technical glitch in the Airbus A320 aircraft and we are trying to rectify the problem so that the passengers could be flown Muscat-Kochi by tonight,” Amresh Choudhary, Air India Country Manager Oman, told Gulf News.
He explained that a mechanical part is being sent from India. Permission from the Oman Aviation Services is also required for the flight to depart, he said.
“The flight was to take off at 11.50am and all the passengers were checked in,” Raji Sahul, a stranded Air Indian Express passenger, told Gulf News.
He added that there was no information initially and the passengers were later told that the flight could only leave the next day. “They are providing hotel accommodation, but most passengers want to leave as soon as possible,” he said, adding that no Air Indian Express official met them.
“We have been briefed by the local Oman Air staff,” he said, adding that passengers were agitated.
“We have over 20 families among the passengers, including a pregnant lady and a month-old infant,” Sahul said.
Choudhary, however, said that “we have no option, but to provide passengers with hotel accommodation and food until the technical glitch is repaired and the aircraft is flight worthy.”
