Agathi: Due to a technical problem, the flight of Alliance Air got stuck in the parking area of Agathi airport. Hundreds of Malayalis are stuck in Lakshadweep. The group includes children and the elderly.
The flight was supposed to leave for Kochi from Agathi in Lakshadweep on Thursday 16th at 11 pm. After a short while the passengers were loaded, everyone was told to get off. It was informed that the flight had technical problems and could not fly. The passengers were taken back to the pavilion. As it is a small airport, no other aircraft can come here without diverting this aircraft.
Although it was announced that technical experts and equipment would arrive soon from Kochi, no one has come till Friday afternoon. Passengers protested but to no avail. The airport authorities are not even ready to provide accommodation for the passengers. If it is in Agathi, there is no facility to accommodate so many tourists.
Many stayed in some resorts paying huge rent. A few were facilitated by sponsors. Agathi is an airport where you don’t even get a cup of tea. There are no shops nearby. People left the airport on Friday hungry. The passengers said that apart from the financial loss, they had to suffer loss of time and mental stress and would file a complaint with the DGCA.
