Passengers have been left fuming after their Indigo flight to Delhi, India, from Dubai International Airport was delayed 11 hours.
Airline officials said the delay was caused by the closure of a runway in Mumbai, which they said had a knock-on effect on their flights. Officials said this closure caused passengers to be stuck in the plane for five hours before it took off — an hour longer than the flight time between Dubai and Delhi.
Indigo Flight 6E024 was due to leave the emirate at 7pm on Tuesday but did not depart until 6.12am on Wednesday.
Passengers had been notified of several delays throughout the evening and finally boarded the plane at 1.35am.
“Due to the ongoing closure of the main runway in Mumbai, after an incident with another airline, compounded by the severe weather conditions, a substantial number of cancellations and diversions for IndiGo and other airlines had to be implemented,” said a spokeswoman for Indigo.
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An Indian man walks with a bicycle along a waterlogged street in Mumbai on July 2, 2019. AFP -
A man wades through a waterlogged railway track following heavy rains in Mumbai. AP Photo -
A car moves through a waterlogged street following heavy rains in Mumbai. AP Photo -
A woman who lost her family members cries as rescue workers search for survivors after a wall collapsed on shanties due to heavy rains at a slum in Mumbai. Reuters -
A commuter crosses waterlogged railway tracks as a suburban train is seen parked at a railway station after its services were suspended during heavy monsoon rains in Mumbai. Reuters -
Commuters walk on waterlogged railway tracks after getting off a stalled train during heavy monsoon rains in Mumbai. Reuters -
Onlookers stand behind a portion of the broken wall that collapsed in Mumbai. AFP -
People stand at the spot after heavy rainfall caused a wall to collapse onto shanties, in Mumbai. AP -
A SpiceJet aircraft is surrounded by airport staff as it stands stranded off the tarmac at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on July 2, 2019, after it overran the runway while landing during heavy rain, causing no injuries. AFP -
Rescuers and others gather at the spot after heavy rainfall caused a wall to collapse onto shanties, in Mumbai. AP Photo -
Rescuers of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) stand at the spot after heavy rainfall caused a wall to collapse onto shanties, in Mumbai. AP Photo -
A fruit vendor pushes his cart through a water logged road following heavy rains in Mumbai. AP Photo -
Children swim past an abandoned vehicle in a flooded road in Mumbai, India. Bloomberg
Heavy rains have caused devastation across parts of India this week. 22 people have died in Mumbai and scores were injured as a result of the heaviest monsoon rains in a decade.
On Wednesday, the airline spokeswoman said the runway closure in Mumbai caused a ripple effect throughout the system and caused delays. She said the airline was speaking to passengers to discuss compensation.
“All passengers booked on this flight are being contacted and we are offering travel vouchers as part of the service recovery process,” she said.
The National also contacted Dubai International Airport who stated it was a matter for the airline.
