Flights diverted due to inclement weather

IX-348 Abhu Dhabi-Kozhikode flight was among six flights from various Gulf cities which were diverted to different airports in Kerala on Monday after they were unable to land at the Karipur International Airport, Kozhikode, due to poor visibility following foggy conditions.

An Air India spokesperson in Calicut said that passengers of IX-348 flight had a heated exchange with airline officials after they refused to get down from the plane at Thiruvananthapuram.

The spokesman claimed the passengers insisted that they be taken to Calicut but were told that the pilots had already flown for 15 hours, the limit set by aviation regulator, and they will be provided hotel accommodation till the time the plane takes off. The plane left for Kozhikode after 11 hours with 93 passengers and reached at 7.45 pm, he said.

Four of the diverted flights landed at Kozhikode after delays ranging from about five to 12 hours, airport sources said.

Air India’s IX-344 Dubai-Kozhikode flight scheduled to land at 4.50 am was sent to Nedumbassery Airport in Kochi and landed here at 8.45 am while the Jeddha-Kozhikode NAS Air flight scheduled to arrive at 4.25 am was also diverted to Nedumbassery. The flight returned here at 9.15 am.

Bahrain Air’s Bahrain-Kozhikode flight slated to arrive around 4.30 am was diverted to Nedumbassery and landed here at 8.10 am. The flight left for Bahrain at 9.25 AM, the sources said. The RAK Airlines’ RT-300 Razalkhamia-Kozhikode flight slated to land here at 4.20 am was diverted to Nedumbassery and the flight was expected to arrive here at 10.30 pm, sources said.