Over 100 passengers of an Oman Airways Chennai-Muscat flight were stranded at the Chennai airport on Monday, due to a puncture in the plane’s tyre.
The flight from Muscat had landed in the city at 6.20 a.m. It was due to leave for Muscat by 7.15 a.m., but because of the puncture, it did not take off, leaving 140 passengers waiting.
“We kept waiting till 9 a.m. thinking the flight had just been delayed. But just after we received our boarding passes, officials told us the flight had been cancelled. I was due to join work in Muscat today, but now I may not be able to do so,” said a passenger.
Airport sources said a replacement for the tyre was not immediately available and that the airline had arranged accommodation for all the passengers at various hotels in the city.
“I had told my employer that I would return to work on Monday evening, as I had to relieve another colleague of mine who is leaving for a holiday on Tuesday,” said another irked passenger.
The passengers finally left for Muscat at 9.15 p.m. on Monday.
