The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India's aviation regulator, has sought a detailed report from Air India following allegations that an aircraft initially scheduled for a regular flight was reassigned to transport the Indian cricket team from Barbados. The officials said that the aircraft, which was supposed to operate on a scheduled route from Newark (USA) to Delhi, was instead dispatched to Barbados, resulting in significant inconvenience for passengers. Due to this, a senior DGCA official confirmed on Wednesday that the regulator has formally asked Air India to provide an explanation regarding the development.
Air India redirects passengers after flight change
An Air India official said passengers were not inconvenienced by the deployment of the Boeing 777 aircraft to Barbados. Most of the passengers who had booked tickets for the Newark to Delhi flight on July 2 were informed in advance. However, some passengers who could not be informed about the flight cancellation turned up at the airport and they were taken by road to New York. Those passengers were accommodated in the flight from New York to Delhi, the official added.
Team India returns after T20 World Cup win
The T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team arrived in the national capital on Thursday morning. They came from Barbados' Grantley Adams International Airport in a chartered flight which had a special call sign - AIC24WC - Air India Champions 24 World Cup. The departure of the cricket team was delayed due to Hurricane Beryl and the chartered flight was arranged by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The Indian squad, its support staff, the players' families and some board officials were aboard the flight along with members of the travelling media contingent. The flight was arranged by the BCCI.
Hurricane Beryl delayed Team India's arrival
Life-threatening winds and storms lashed Barbados and nearby islands on July 1. The country, with a population of close to three lakh, has been in a lockdown since Sunday evening (June 30). The Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados resumed its operations on Tuesday. Earlier, the Indian team was scheduled to leave around 6 pm local time on July 2 and arrive at 7.45 pm (IST) on Wednesday. However, the team arrived at Delhi airport on Thursday morning where it was accorded a rousing welcome by fans.
(With inputs from PTI)
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