In a shocking turn of events, approximately 120 passengers destined for Riyadh found themselves stranded at Kochi International Airport for hours after Saudia Airlines officials abruptly removed them from their flight.
The passengers were left in a state of uncertainty who had connecting flights to Canada and the United States.
The incident, which unfolded around 8:25 pm, saw passengers being asked to disembark due to alleged technical issues with the flight. However, by 11 pm, the aircraft had taken off without those stranded passengers, casting a dark cloud over their travel plans.
Saudia Airlines, known for its daily 1X flight SV775 between Kochi and Riyadh, typically operates the route with its Airbus A330 aircraft, according to Aviation A2Z.
Fears of job loss and visa expiration loomed large among the distressed passengers. “We were asked to disembark as soon as we boarded after completing immigration formalities. Some passengers have work obligations on Monday, and the visas of others are expiring soon,” shared one female passenger with Manorama News.
After hours of enduring the airport ordeal, the passengers were finally transferred to a nearby hotel, a move necessitated by the airline’s failure to arrange alternative travel. Reports suggest that disagreements with the airline staff prompted this hotel transfer.
Adding to the passengers’ grievances, they claimed to have been made to wait in the jetway for nearly six hours while enduring discourteous behavior from airline personnel. Manorama News reported that passengers had received no flight updates via phone or email, leaving them in the dark about their travel plans.
To compound the chaos, even the airport authorities were reportedly left clueless about any alternative travel arrangements by the airline.
This incident comes on the heels of another airline mishap in March 2023 when an Air India Express flight bound for Kuwait, Flight IX695, departed earlier than the departure time indicated on passengers’ tickets. This led to up to 17 passengers being stranded at Vijayawada International Airport.
These incidents serve as a stark reminder of the need for improved communication and passenger care in the aviation industry, as passengers should not be expected to constantly monitor websites for flight updates that may affect their travel plans.
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