Bhubaneswar: An Air India Express passenger, traveling from Srinagar to Bagdogra via Delhi, ended up nearly 1,500 km off course in Bhubaneswar on July 30.
The passenger on flight IX1128 stayed on the aircraft after landing in Delhi, possibly asleep or unaware of announcements, and continued to Bhubaneswar. The aircraft landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 3.05 pm on Wednesday and departed again at 3.55 pm for Bhubaneswar. Despite standard protocols requiring transit passengers to disembark or the headcount at the transfer desk, the error went unnoticed until the flight was airborne.
Upon realising the presence of an extra passenger, the cabin crew informed the cockpit, which alerted airline authorities. Arrangements were made for the passenger to return to Delhi in the same flight after landing in Bhubaneswar. He was then put up at a hotel in Delhi and was finally flown to Bagdogra the next day.
“On July 30, a guest transiting through Delhi on another flight inadvertently continued on the aircraft onward to Bhubaneswar. An internal investigation is being conducted to identify and address any lapses, while reiterating SOPs and internal briefings across stations to prevent recurrence,” The Tribune reported, quoting an Air India Express spokesperson.
The incident, however, has raised concerns about the airline’s security and ground handling procedures. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security is expected to investigate the incident.
