Around 100 passengers, including three BJP MPs found themselves in a predicament at Gujarat's Rajkot airport on the night of July 23 when their Air India flight to Delhi faced an unexpected disruption.

The pilot of the aircraft refused to fly, citing that he had exceeded his duty hours, as per Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) norms, leaving the passengers in a state of uncertainty.

Stranded on an airport with prominent stateheads

The incident unfolded late in the evening after passengers boarded the Air India flight, scheduled for departure at 8.30 p.m. Among the passengers were Rajkot MP Mohan Kundariya, Jamnagar MP Poonam Maadam, and newly-elected Rajya Sabha MP Kesaridevsinh Jhala. 

In a statement issued on July 24, an Air India spokesperson said that AI404 operating between Rajkot and Delhi late evening on July 23 was delayed due to an operational reason. 

"Subsequently, the cockpit crew came under Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) regulations for which they could not operate the flight as per regulatory norms. The FDTL regulation is a non-negotiable aspect and cannot be compromised under any circumstances," said the spokesperson. 

"Certain passengers who had to reach Delhi on an urgent basis were transported by road to Ahmedabad to take an Air India or codeshare flight to Delhi. The remaining passengers were offered hotel accommodation with all meals and their bookings rescheduled as per their desire including full refund against cancellation," the spokesperson added. 

Earlier this month, around 20 to 25 students were left stranded after the cancellation of Air India flight AI 186 from Vancouver to Delhi on July 2 due to some technical issue. 

(Source: IANS)

Edited for style

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