AirAsia pilot uses AC blowers to forcibly deplane passengers
Many women passengers started vomiting, children were crying due to the extreme cold
Many women passengers started vomiting, children were crying due to the extreme cold
Many women passengers started vomiting, children were crying due to the extreme cold
Many women passengers started vomiting, children were crying due to the extreme cold
AirAsia is facing criticism after the pilot of a much-delayed flight from Kolkata to Bagdogra on Wednesday allegedly sought to deplane passengers by turning up the aircraft's AC blowers. In a statement on the issue, AirAsia claims the passengers faced no danger with the AC blowers being turned up.
Some passengers on the AirAsia flight got into an altercation with the staff over deplaning them as the flight was delayed by over four hours.
Dipankar Ray, an executive director with Indian Oil Corporation, who was on the flight uploaded a video on Facebook of the chaos on board. Ray said the flight was initially scheduled to depart by 9am; it was then delayed by 30 minutes. Ray said passengers were made to wait inside the aircraft for one-and-half hours without food or water.
The flight captain then instructed all passengers to deboard without any explanation, he added.
"When passengers refused to deboard due to heavy rains outside, the captain put the air-conditioning blower on full blast to hound the passengers out. It created a scary scene as heavy fog was created inside the plane and it was very suffocating," Ray said.
He further said that many women passengers started vomiting and children were crying.
In Ray's video, passengers can been arguing with on-board staff for switching off the blower.
"This is the way Aviation industry works in India. This #AirAsiaservice was particularly scary ... Avoid Air Asia," Ray said in the video post on Facebook.
When contacted, AirAsia India issued a statement and accepted that the flight was delayed and expressed regret.
"AirAsia India would like to confirm that flight i5583 from Kolkata to Bagdogra was delayed by 4.5 hours due to a technical requirement. AirAsia regrets the inconvenience caused to guests on account of this disruption and would like to reinstate that the airline always prioritises safety above all," the company said.
It further said that there was no danger to any of the occupants on-board the aircraft as the cool conditioned air being circulated was condensing.
"This is a normal occurrence on-board all aircraft when the air conditioning is operated in high humidity conditions," the statement said.
The company also claimed that all the affected guests were offered refreshments and provided with alternate arrangements on request.
Ray, however, countered that and said the airline had asked them to go to the food court in the airport after deplaning them and show the boarding passes to get food.
"When we reached the food court, they refused us. There was no communication from AirAsia at all. We had to pay. When we were boarding the flight the second time, then they gave us one sandwich and a 250 ml water bottle. This is an unacceptable treatment," he said.