Kolkata, August 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Passengers at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata staged a protest on Wednesday after an Air India Express flight to Chennai was delayed by around six hours following a technical fault.
The flight was scheduled to depart at 6.30 a.m. with around 170 passengers on board. Boarding passes had already been issued when the technical problem was detected before take-off.
Passengers reportedly waited for several hours without clear information about the revised departure time, eventually prompting protests inside the airport. The flight finally departed shortly after noon.
Passengers alleged that they were not informed about the technical issue in time and claimed that adequate assistance or alternative arrangements were not provided during the prolonged wait. They also said the delay disrupted their travel plans.
Airport authorities confirmed that the flight could not operate as scheduled because of a technical fault. They said arranging an alternative flight at short notice was not possible. The revised departure was announced after 11.30 a.m.
Air India Express did not disclose the nature of the technical problem.
The incident also prompted concerns among passengers about flight safety, particularly after the fault was detected shortly before departure.
The development comes days after an Air India Airbus A320 operating flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi experienced a sudden altitude variation of around 300 feet during cruise on August 4.
The aircraft, carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members, subsequently stabilised and landed safely in Delhi. Both pilots underwent mandatory screening for psychoactive substances following the incident.
The occurrence left 20 passengers and four cabin crew members injured, with 17 people requiring hospitalisation.
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