Chaos At Bengaluru Airport As Passengers Protest Nepal-Bound Air India Express Flight's Diversions

Last Updated:February 28, 2026, 10:36 IST

Passengers protested at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport after repeated diversions disrupted their Kathmandu-bound flight, leaving them stranded for nearly two days.

Passengers bound for Nepal staged a protest at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after repeated disruptions to their Kathmandu flight triggered chaos and prolonged distress, with videos from the airport showing travellers raising slogans and demanding immediate resolution.

Passengers sat in protest after being brought back to Bengaluru following failed landing attempts.

Travellers could be seen confronting airline staff and voicing anger over what they described as poor communication and mismanagement.

According to PTI, around 180 passengers were on board the Air India Express service, including several tourists whose travel plans were disrupted for nearly two days.

The flight departed Bengaluru for Kathmandu at about 10.30 am on Thursday, but was unable to land and later returned without passengers receiving clear information about the situation.

The same aircraft reportedly attempted the journey again on Friday morning.

However, it once again failed to land in Kathmandu and was diverted to Lucknow.

Passengers alleged they were made to remain seated inside the aircraft for several hours after landing there, adding to exhaustion and frustration.

“We were kept inside the plane for hours without proper information. No one clearly explained what was happening," a passenger said during the protest, according to news agency PTI.

Some travellers claimed they had spent more than 30 hours cumulatively inside the aircraft during the disrupted journey.

After prolonged waiting in Lucknow, passengers reportedly protested onboard, following which the airline flew them back to Bengaluru.

Upon arrival, many passengers staged a sit-in protest near the immigration counters, alleging that two days of travel had been wasted and their planned Nepal trip had effectively collapsed.

“Our entire Nepal trip has been ruined. We planned this well in advance and suffered financial losses," another passenger said, as cited by PTI.

Personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) intervened at the airport and attempted to pacify the agitating passengers.

AIR INDIA EXPRESS CITES ADVERSE WEATHER

Responding to the incident, Air India Express attributed the disruption to weather conditions in Kathmandu.

“Due to adverse weather in Kathmandu, our Bengaluru-Kathmandu flights on 26 and 27 February were diverted. An additional flight operated today to recover guests from yesterday’s disrupted service was also diverted for the same reason," the airline said in a statement.

The airline added that affected passengers were offered assistance, stating, “Affected guests have been provided hotel accommodation and the option of complimentary rescheduling or full-refund cancellation."

“An additional recovery flight is planned tomorrow to accommodate these guests. We regret the inconvenience caused due to factors beyond the airline’s control," it mentioned.

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