UAE–India travel: Air India Express Dubai–Mangaluru cancelled just before take-off

Dubai: Passengers on an Air India Express flight from Dubai to Mangaluru in India’s Karnataka state had to return to the airport after their flight was cancelled just before take-off, Gulf News has learnt.

Flight IX 814, scheduled to depart at 11.40pm on Sunday, was cancelled when a technical problem was detected prior to take-off. The aircraft was then returned to ramp, and passengers were asked to disembark.

Though the unidentified technical issue was reportedly fixed later, the situation was compounded when the operating crew exceeded prescribed flight duty time limitations. This made it impossible to operate the flight till Monday night, resulting in a day’s delay for most of the passengers.

In an official statement to Gulf News, an Air India Express spokesperson confirmed the incident: "One of our Dubai-Mangaluru flights was unable to operate due to a technical issue and operating crew consequently exceeding the prescribed flight duty time limitations,” the spokesperson said.

The affected passengers were mostly Indian expats travelling to Karnataka and Kerala, including some senior citizens.

The airline said it provided multiple options to the passengers.

“We promptly accommodated guests at an airport hotel in Dubai on a full-board basis, offering options including connecting flights, complimentary rescheduling or a full refund on cancellation,” the spokesperson said.

“We are operating an additional flight this evening for all remaining guests. We regret the inconvenience,” the statement added.

The flight IX824 will fly the passengers who opted to stay at the hotel and catch the additional flight. According to sources, most of the passengers, more than 110, opted to fly on the additional flight.

Subsequently, Monday’s scheduled 5pm Dubai–Mangaluru flight (IX832) was also cancelled, with similar rebooking options offered to passengers before they reached the airport.