AI crew refuses to fly; Passengers stranded

New Delhi, Feb 27 (UNI) A New York-bound Air India flight with as many as 298 passengers has been stranded here since morning as the crew of the flight refused to take off, saying their duty hours are over.

Passengers of AI-111, the Amristar-Delhi-London-New York flight which was scheduled to leave at 0720 hrs this morning, were kept waiting at the airport for hours following a delay in the flight and the crew's refusal.

An AI spokesperson confirmed that the crew was not flying, but said there were others reasons for the ''delay'' in the flight, which was to take off at 0720 hrs.

''The crew is citing flying duty time limitation as the reason,'' he said.

''The London airport has night curfew so flights can not land in the night and fresh crew is also flying to New Delhi for the flight,'' he added.

New York-bound passengers will be accommodated on a directed flight, scheduled to take off at 0030 hrs and people going to London will be flying 0230 flight to Britain.

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