Air India forgets to schedule pilots, left passengers stranded for 12hrs

An Air India flight that was supposed to depart London en route to New Delhi was delayed for nearly 12 hours because the airline did not schedule any pilots to fly the Boeing B787 Dreamliner back to New Delhia.

The B787 was supposed to head back to New Delhi an hour after landing in London. The flight was operated as AI 111.

The flight crew who flew to Heathrow from New Delhi were unable to operate the return flight because they had reached their maximum in-flight time and were required to take a mandatory break before operating another flight.

Left with no other choice, the airline was forced to accommodate the stranded passengers with hotel rooms and transportation for the night.

After the pilots and crew members rested for 12 hours, as required by law, flight AI 111 was able to depart. The flight departed on Wednesday morning, according to the Times of India.

‘After giving the pilots minimum applicable rest and keeping in view the night curfew in London, the flight was rescheduled to January 7 at 4am. Air India regrets inconvenience to passengers’ said an Air India spokesperson.

Source: Times of India