AAI to enquire into Mamata flight delay

Kolkata, Sep 22: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will conduct an enquiry into the delay of a Jet Airways flight, carrying West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from Bagdogra to Kolkata, officials said today (Sept 22).

"The state government had written to the AAI on Wednesday for an enquiry into the delay. They wrote back today saying they will conduct the probe and submit a report to the state," secretariat officials told reporters here.

Banerjee, who was returning after assessing the post- earthquake situation in Darjeeling and adjacent Sikkim, was annoyed over the journey time from Bagdogra to Kolkata, which took 110 minutes instead of the scheduled 40 minutes.

According to airport officials, though her flight was to touch down at Kolkata at 2.55 pm, it hovered in the air for about 40 minutes.

The Air Traffic Control (ATC) had asked the Jet Airways flight and some other flights to remain airborne as it gave permission to a Kingfisher flight for an emergency landing.

PTI