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29 March 2024

'Hijacked' AIE passengers receive heroes welcome

Three of the six passengers against whom the Indian police prepared cases returned to Dubai on Saturday. (SUPPLIED)

Published
By Joseph George

Irate passengers of the Air India Express flight, who were accused by the pilot of an attempted hijack, have been given a heroes’ welcome by Indian expatriates on arrival in Dubai.

Three of the six passengers against whom the Indian police prepared cases returned to Dubai on Saturday. Among those who were present at the airport to welcome them were representatives of various Indian associations in the UAE apart from their friends and family members.

The passengers were greeted with bouquets and garlands.

“We went to welcome them since it was their protest that highlighted the plight of Gulf travellers especially on Air India flights to the whole country,” said Punnakkan Mohammad Ali, of Chiranthana Samskarika Vedi, a Dubai-based cultural organisation.

An emergency situation was declared at Trivandrum airport last Thursday when the Kochi-bound Air India Express flight from Abu Dhabi landed at a different airport – in Trivandrum - delayed by several hours. Aggrieved passengers said they had to stage a protest after the crew refused to fly them back to Kochi. The pilot Captain Rupali Waghmare, sent out a false hijack alert that alerted all Indian airports and sensitive defence establishments after she feared that angry passengers were trying to storm into the cockpit.

Speaking to 'Emirates24|7' Mohammed Ashraf who has been living in Dubai for the last 15 years, said, “I am happy to be back in the UAE without any cases being filed against me and the other co-passengers. Before landing in Kochi, the pilot had promised to fly us back to Trivandrum within an hour after refueling. But after the flight landed they came up with multiple excuses and said we could travel comfortably by road.”

Insisting that no passenger had entered the cockpit, he said, “The latest news is that Air India has refused to hand over the video recording of the flight to the police investigating the case. They have asked the police to request for the video to the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation). If they had nothing to hide why would they do so?” he said.

Another passenger Thomson K Akkara, who works in Abu Dhabi said, he had returned to Dubai but never expected to be received this way.

Recollecting the events on Thursday he said, “Passengers were treated very shabbily. I do not often travel by Air India. It was because of an emergency and I could not find tickets on any other flight that I ended up flying Air India Express.”

Indian expats from Kerala have been fuming at the Air India management for a long time following various such experiences. Online fora and petitions have emerged criticising the management during recent days.

“I have now decided not to fly by Air India anymore," said Ashraf.

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