Air India goof-up at Nedumbaserry airport

Kochi, Jan 16 (UNI) In violation of security norms by the Air India ground handling staff, passengers of a Jet Airways flight from Kuwait were taken to the domestic instead of the international terminal at the Nedumbaserry International Airport, near here, last night.

Admitting the mistake, Air India officials today said an internal inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

However, they said the driver of the runway coach mistakenly took the passengers to the domestic instead of the international terminal as Jet Airways had only recently started its international services from Nedumbaserry and was only flying on the domestic sector earlier.

The Jet Airways flight from Kuwait had landed at about 2000 hrs.

The lapse came to light when some of the passengers inquired about immigration clearance. Realising the mistake, the airport authorities took them to the international terminal for the necessary customs and immigration clearance.

However, a passenger, identified as Eliot D'Souza, had left the airport and checked into a nearby hotel. He was later traced by the emigration police and brought back to the airport for the necessary formalities.

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