Day 4: Fliers left stranded as Goair cancels five flights

MUMBAI: Goair operations continued to be disrupted for the fourth day, with the airline cancelling five flights on Wednesday.

Senior airline officials said that the airline was working towards reducing the flight disruptions due to which there were five flight cancellations on Wednesday, and nearly 20 flight cancellations each on Monday and Tuesday.

Sources privy to the matter said the airline has been facing crew rostering issues which are likely to continue for a few days. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has pulled up the airline for making its crew work more than the prescribed flight duty time limit.

The passengers, however, complained of unannounced delays and cancellations. Pune resident, Col. Deepak Bhattacharya and his family were stranded at the Bengaluru airport after the airline refused to accommodate them in an alternate flight to Port Blair.

“I am on a family vacation to Port Blair for the New Year celebration. I left Pune, only after the airline assured that despite cancelling the flight that I was booked on, they will help me with alternate arrangements. However, after landing in Bengaluru, the airline has refused to do so,” he said.

Other passengers took to social media to describe their disappointment and have questioned the airline’s claim of providing alternate arrangements for cancelled flights.

Anshu Kesarwani, a passenger, tweeted, ‘@goairlinesindia Flight G8-138 on 27th Dec IXC to DEL cancelled without any reason. Trying to call customer care since last 2 hrs no response. Have connecting Flight G8-2501 DEL to BOM on 28th DEC. Need urgent assistance. (sic)’

Another passenger Mitesh Sahho tweeted that he has a flight from Delhi to Ranchi on Thursday. But the airline informed him of his flight cancellation via text message, and since he has not been able to connect to their customer care service. Goair officials did not comment till the time of going to print.

THERE WERE FIVE FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS ON WEDNESDAY, AND NEARLY 20 FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS EACH ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY.