India

Air India pilot leaves flight in Jaipur after exceeding duty hours

More than 40 passengers flying Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, were stranded at the Jaipur airport after their pilot left the flight saying that his duty hours were over.

The Delhi-bound flight originated from Lucknow and reached Sanganer airport in Jaipur on Wednesday, where it remained idle reportedly till Thursday.

“The pilot’s duty-time got over and therefore, he could not take the flight,” Sanganer airport director J S Balhara told the media.

The pilot could not have exceeded duty hours as it would have been in violation of the safety norms laid down by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and would have attracted disciplinary action against him.

“The pilot and crew of a flight coming from Delhi was scheduled to take the flight (9I-644) from Jaipur to Delhi on last night. But, the flight from Delhi was delayed and landed at Jaipur at 1.30 am,” a staff at the Air India station office said.

Some of the 44 passenger on the Alliance Air flight 9I-644 were moved to Delhi on the same day by road, whereas the rest were provided accommodation in Jaipur and were later brought to Delhi in another flight on Thursday morning.

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