Singapore-based budgtet airline Scoot apologised Thursday after a flight from Punjab’s Amritsar left 35 passengers behind when it took off over four hours ahead of schedule. Scoot said the incident was due to ‘inclement weather conditions affecting departures’ and that it ‘sincerely apologises for inconvenience caused’ to stranded passengers. “We are currently working to provide affected customers with the necessary assistance,” the airline said.
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The flight to Singapore – TR509 – was to depart from Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Das Jee airport at 7.55 pm on Wednesday but left at 3.45 pm instead. The airline said passengers had been notified ‘in advance’ of the change in departure times via ’email and/or SMS, where possible’.
The faux pas involving Scoot came days after a Go First flight from Bengaluru left behind 55 passengers who were waiting in a shuttle bus to board the plane to Delhi.
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The director of the Amitsar airport, VK Seth, told Hindustan Times passengers left behind by Scoot were told they would be accommodated in other flights. Asked how this happened, he said the agent who booked the tickets did not inform passengers about the timing change.
“All booking agents were informed well in time and they relayed information to their clients. But only one agent could not inform his clients… for reasons best known to him.”
Over 250 other passengers boarded the flight as per the revised schedule.
India’s aviation regulataor has ordered a probe into the incident. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sought details from both Scoot and Amritsar airport authorities.
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