More than 250 passengers and cabin crew members will now spend Diwali at various hotels around Milan airport after Air India announced a last-minute flight cancellation. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner had developed ‘technical snags’ after reaching Milan airport — derailing travel plans for hundreds of Delhi-bound passengers. Air India said it had made temporary hotel arrangements and opted to rebook its passengers after the festival concluded on Monday.
“All affected passengers have been provided hotel accommodations. However due to limited availability, accommodations were arranged outside the immediate vicinity of the airport.”“Passengers have been rebooked on alternative flights on or after Oct 20, based on seat availability with Air India and other airlines,” Times of India quoted an Air India spokesperson as saying.
Only one passenger will be reaching India in time for Diwali since their Schengen visa is set to expire on October 20. The spokesperson said the individual had been rebooked on another airline’s flight to depart by October 19 and ensure compliance with visa validity.
According to reports, many of the passengers have also faced inconveniences while attempting to check into allocated hotels. One passenger told The Hindu that some of them were taken to a hotel outside the city and later told to check out without any notice by the staff. Some parents also voiced concern as they had no food for their toddlers, while others were worried about elderly passengers being abandoned at the airport. Some of the travellers reportedly do not have multi-entry visas — sparking fresh concern about the travel process. Others alleged that they had been asked to waive their right to compensation.