Bengaluru airport chaos: 30-hour delay in Nepal flight sparks protest, Sunday special flight announced

Chaos erupted at Kempegowda International Airport after around 180 Nepal-bound passengers staged a protest against Air India Express , alleging gross mismanagement and poor communication following repeated flight disruptions over two consecutive days. The airline said the diversions were caused by adverse weather conditions in Kathmandu , which led to poor visibility and unsafe landing conditions . It clarified that flights on Thursday, Friday and an additional recovery flight on Saturday were all diverted for the same reason. To address grievances, the carrier announced a special recovery flight on Sunday and said it was arranging accommodation, refreshments, and refund or rebooking options, while expressing regret for the disruption.

According to passengers, the flight departed Bengaluru at 10.30 am on Thursday and was scheduled to reach Kathmandu by 1.25 pm, but was diverted first to Varanasi due to dense cloud cover and mist at Tribhuvan International Airport. When weather conditions failed to improve, the aircraft was further diverted to Lucknow, where travellers alleged they were made to remain seated inside the aircraft for several hours without clear information. The same aircraft reportedly took off again on Friday morning but once more failed to land in Kathmandu, triggering widespread frustration.

Travellers claimed they were confined inside the aircraft for over 30 hours , with inadequate communication, food and rest facilities. Exhausted and angry, passengers staged a protest inside the aircraft, forcing the airline to return them to Bengaluru. Upon arrival, many continued their sit-in protest near the immigration area at Terminal 2, raising slogans and demanding accountability and compensation. More than 40 Kannada-speaking passengers , many part of group tours from Karnataka, were among those affected, several saying their long-planned Nepal trip had been completely ruined, resulting in financial losses.

Personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) intervened to pacify the agitating passengers. Meanwhile, amid speculation, Sikkim officials clarified that recent tremors had no impact on flight operations , noting 57 minor earthquakes since February 9 and urging calm, safety precautions and preparedness.