Thiruvananthapuram hijack scare after angry passengers protested delay

Mangalore Today News Network

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 19, 2012: A pilot at the Thiruvananthapuram airport sent a hijack message to officials this morning after passengers tried to force their way into the cockpit. The Air India flight was headed from Abu Dhabi to Kochi but was diverted suddenly to Thiruvananthapuram because of fog. 

There are differing versions of what happened next.  The pilot, a woman, allegedly pressed an alarm button to the airport because passengers allegedly tried to force their way into the cockpit to protest against the re-routing.  Air India sources said she felt threatened. 

But a passenger named Sivan said that is incorrect.  He told NDTV that the flight was meant to land at Kochi at 3.30 am.  After they landed in Thiruvananthapuram, he said passengers were kept waiting on the plane for three hours without any information.

The pilot and crew then tried to disembark because their shift had ended. At this point, Sivan said, passengers who were worried about further delays began arguing with the pilot.  He said nobody tried to enter the cockpit.

He also said that passengers were angry because the airline was considering terminating the flight at Thiruvananthapuram and driving them to their destination, Kochi.

At about 12.15 pm, the airline organised a new pilot and crew for the flight; it is meant to take off shortly. The regulatory body for aviation, the DGCA, is conducting an inquiry to determine what happened.

Courtesy: NDTV