Flight circles for 2 hrs on new Hyd–Hubballi route, sparks panic

Hyderabad: A mid-air scare gripped passengers on a Fly91 flight from Hyderabad when it circled over Hubballi for nearly two hours before aborting the landing and diverting to Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport on April 19.The route had been launched just two days earlier, on April 17.Videos shared by some of the 22 passengers on board flight IC3401 show many weeping and praying in fear. "Oh Lord, please save us. My dear father Jesus, please save my children," one woman is heard saying, hands folded. "I have no idea what is happening. I just want to land safely," another passenger says.Initial reports suggest a technical snag in the ATR turboprop aircraft, but the airline attributed the disruption to bad weather near Hubballi. "The Hyderabad–Hubballi sector is new. Many passengers were first-time flyers and were alarmed by about two minutes of turbulence. The pilot made three announcements regarding bad weather," a Fly91 source told TOI. According to sources, the flight took off from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad around 3.14 pm and was scheduled to land at Hubballi by 4.30 pm. However, it was unable to land and circled over Hubballi for nearly two hours, between 4.15 pm and 6.15 pm. It was eventually diverted to Bengaluru, where it landed around 6.45 pm, before continuing to Hubballi.The aircraft subsequently returned to its base in Hyderabad.Dismissing claims of a technical issue, Fly91 said the diversion was "purely due to weather conditions" and carried out as per standard protocol. "There was zero compromise on safety. Holding over Hubballi and diverting to Bengaluru are standard operating procedures and among the industry's best practices. Fly91 has a highly skilled team trained to handle such situations and maintains an impeccable safety record," a spokesperson said.