Mangaluru-Dammam flight suffers tech glitch: Flyers stranded for 8 hrs

[email protected] (CD Network)
March 29, 2016

Mangaluru, Mar 29: Over one hundred passengers who were about to board an Air India Express flight bound to Saudi Arabia on Monday evening had a harrowing time as the airline made them wait over eight hours at the Mangaluru International Airport owing to a technical snag.

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Frayed tempers and high drama was witnessed at the Airport as the Mangaluru-Kozhikode-Dammam flight, which was scheduled to take off at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, remained grounded till wee hours of Tuesday.

All the passengers were made to wait at the security area as the fault was discovered only after immigration process was completed. Meanwhile, 12 passengers cancelled their tickets and four others left the Airport without giving any reason, sources said.

The parts for replacement were brought from Mumbai through a Jet Airways flight which landed at the Airport at 11.30pm. Finally the flight with 128 adult passengers and 9 infants on board took off at 1:57 a.m. on Tuesday.

Mangalur Airport Director JT Radhakrishna said that delaying the flight was inevitable after the detection of the technical glitch.

The unexpected delay, however, caused inconveniences to several passengers. One of the passengers had complained that his visa would expire if they did not reach the destination on time.

Nagesh Shetty, Station Manager, Air India, Mangaluru, said that since the fault was discovered only after immigration procedure, the passengers were made to sit at airport security area itself.

However, some of the passengers with infants were shifted to a private hospital. Others were provided food at the same place, he said.

“There was nothing we could do as it was an unforeseen technical snag,” said Mr Shetty adding that passengers should co-operate as flights can be delayed due to various reasons.

“Sometimes passengers travel only a day before their visas expire. We cannot help in such cases. It is always better to keep a buffer of a day or two before the visa expires,” he said.

Comments

anh
 - 
Thursday, 31 Mar 2016

ponaga flight da upadra. banaga customs da upadra. wa kiri kiri marayere.

Zahoor Ahmed
 - 
Thursday, 31 Mar 2016

Finaly took off at 9.35 and landed at Dammam Airport 11.10 PM (SST)

Zahoor Ahmed
 - 
Wednesday, 30 Mar 2016

Todays flight from Mangalore to Dammam, 5.15 rescheduled for 6.15 now latest take off time 8.15 PM.

Rikaz
 - 
Wednesday, 30 Mar 2016

Station managers clarification is very good....

IBRAHIM.HUSSAIN
 - 
Wednesday, 30 Mar 2016

Technical faults can occur to aircraft anytime. The timely detection is very important and remedial works were carried out that resulted the safety of the passenger. However, these 737-800 Boeing Aircraft are old ones that needs replacement with new one. Mangalore-Dammam-Mangalore brings good revenue to the Air India, hence it is pertinent to replace the aircraft with new one.

Of course, there is a inconvenience to the passengers that is regretted. Safety is important rather than the inconvenience.

Thouhid
 - 
Wednesday, 30 Mar 2016

Worst Flight i have ever seen in my life...

Sam
 - 
Wednesday, 30 Mar 2016

I am one of the victim of this Long waiting, as it reported here it's not after the immigration process they found the technical error. In fact at the counter itself I have been informed about 2 hours delay as the flight arrival was delayed.
Still we can understand the technical error and I think nobody will complaint about this if it's prior informed, atleast they could make announcement so that all the passengers will come to know the happenings. But on that day no officials informed us about the delay and the screen was showing 8pm as departure timing even @9pm. Officials informed the situation to the passenger only after confrontation from few passengers.
However opposite to the claim here,food has been provided only after its been demanded by the passengers, else they would haven't made any efforts.
To conclude in one sentence \it's a pathetic service\"."

AMAJ
 - 
Tuesday, 29 Mar 2016

Why it frequently happens to Air India Only... ??

Jithendra
 - 
Tuesday, 29 Mar 2016

Such a major technical glitch was detected just minutes before take off? What would have happened if it was not detected? Y such carelessness?

Nusaiba
 - 
Tuesday, 29 Mar 2016

Thank god AIE delayed the flight. Visa expiry is not a big issue. We should not endanger lives of over hundred passengers.

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News Network
December 2,2025

DKSsiddu.jpg

Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Mangaluru: Chaos erupted at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) after IndiGo flight 6E 5150, bound for Mumbai, was repeatedly delayed and ultimately cancelled, leaving around 100 passengers stranded overnight. The incident highlights the ongoing country-wide operational disruptions affecting the airline, largely due to the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for crew.

The flight was initially scheduled for 9:25 PM on Tuesday but was first postponed to 11:40 PM, then midnight, before being cancelled around 3:00 AM. Passengers expressed frustration over last-minute communication and the lack of clarity, with elderly and ailing travellers particularly affected. “Though the airline arranged food, there was no proper communication, leaving us confused,” said one family member.

An IndiGo executive at MIA cited the FDTL rules, designed to prevent pilot fatigue by limiting crew working hours, as the cause of the cancellation. While alternative arrangements, including hotel stays, were offered, about 100 passengers chose to remain at the airport, creating tension. A replacement flight was arranged but also faced delays due to the same constraints, finally departing for Mumbai around 1:45 PM on Wednesday. Passengers either flew, requested refunds, or postponed their travel.

The Mangaluru delay is part of a broader crisis for IndiGo. The airline has been forced to make “calibrated schedule adjustments”—a euphemism for widespread cancellations and delays—after stricter FDTL norms came into effect on November 1.

While an IndiGo spokesperson acknowledged unavoidable flight disruptions due to technology issues, operational requirements, and the updated crew rostering rules, the DGCA has intervened, summoning senior airline officials to explain the chaos and outline corrective measures.

The ripple effect has been felt across the country, with major hubs like Bengaluru and Mumbai reporting numerous cancellations. The Mangaluru incident underscores the systemic operational strain currently confronting India’s largest carrier, leaving passengers nationwide grappling with uncertainty and delays.

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