DGCA Seeks Report Over Air India Cancelling Scheduled Flight To Fly Out Cricket Team From Barbados

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a statutory body of the Government of India to regulate civil aviation in India, has sought a report from Air India on reports that an aircraft that was to operate a scheduled flight has been deployed for flying out the Indian cricket team from Barbados. According to the officials, the flight was originally scheduled to fly from Newark to Delhi, but was sent to Barbados to bring members of the Indian cricket team back to India.

As per the official sources, there have been reports that Air India deployed the aircraft to Barbados that was originally scheduled to operate a scheduled flight from Newark to Delhi, causing difficulties for passengers.

Air India Official Said That Passengers Were Not Inconvenienced

Against this backdrop, a senior official on Wednesday said the DGCA has called for a report from Air India.

The T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team is expected to arrive in the national capital on Thursday morning. They are coming from Barbados' Grantley Adams International Airport in a chartered flight which has a special call sign - AIC24WC - Air India Champions 24 World Cup.

An Air India official said passengers were not inconvenienced by the deployment of the Boeing 777 aircraft to Barbados.

Most of the passengers who had booked tickets for the Newark to Delhi flight on July 2 were informed in advance. However, some passengers who could not be informed about the flight cancellation turned up at the airport and they were taken by road to New York. Those passengers were accommodated in the flight from New York to Delhi, the official added.

The departure of the cricket team was delayed due to Hurricane Beryl and the chartered flight was arranged by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).