Did Air India leave passengers in lurch to pick up Indian cricket team in Barbados?

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked for a detailed report from Air India following complaints by passengers that their scheduled New York to Delhi flight was cancelled to transport the Indian cricket team from Bridgetown in Barbados. The change reportedly caused inconvenience to passengers in New York who were made to make alternate plans.

LIVE: Indian cricket team returns home from T20 World Cup win

The T20 World Cup winning team were forced to stay in Barbados longer than expected due to Hurricane Beryl. They finally took the flight home on Wednesday from Grantley Adams International Airport on a chartered flight with a special call sign - AIC24WC - Air India Champions 24 World Cup.

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While an Air India official said passengers did not face any inconvenience due to the substitution of the Boeing 777 aircraft.

The official claimed majority of the passengers scheduled for the Delhi flight were notified ahead of time, a few individuals who were not informed about the cancellation arrived at the airport. These passengers were subsequently transported by road to a nearby airport and were accommodated on the next flight.

Passengers, however, offered a different series of events. “Air India is lying. I am one of the affected passengers and i was not offered any alternative to travel on partner airlines,” wrote a certain Ankur Verma.

Another Air India passenger Ajay Awtaney complained about a last-minute cancellation posting a screenshot of his cancelled New York-Delhi flight.

As per DGCA rules, to be able to operate a non-scheduled international flight, an airline cannot take away from scheduled operations. “For operation of charter flights by scheduled operators, there shall be no disruption to their scheduled flights,” says the rule.

The special chartered flight carrying the Indian cricket team took off around 4:50 am local time on Wednesday and landed in New Delhi on Thursday at around 7 AM IST.

The T20 World Cup winning team and support staff were welcomed by a big group of fans. Their day's plan includes a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and an open-bus parade in Mumbai in the evening.