PONDA: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant helped Goa-bound passengers who were stranded at the Mumbai Airport on Thursday night due to the sudden delay in an Air India flight schedule causing hardships to many passengers including some patients.

The flight, which was initially scheduled to leave at 9.30 pm on Thursday, was delayed till 11.30 pm. 

Seeing the plight of the passengers, MGP leader, Dr Ketan Bhatikar who was at the airport called Dr Sawant who was in Delhi to attend a meeting. Dr Sawant arranged food for the passengers.

“I tried calling the Chief Minister who answered my phone call within two rings at 1.13 am. He called me five times, arranged food for all the passengers at Indian Kebab Grill, and exactly at 1.27 am told me that the flight was ready to take-off in 30 minutes. We finally reached Goa at around 3.30 am,” Bhatikar said.

Bhatikar said, “All the passengers had reached the airport at 8.30 pm for boarding the flight, which was to take off at 9.30 pm for Goa but suddenly the Air India staff announced that the flight was cancelled citing reason that there is no pilot and crew staff.”

"When the flight landed at the Mumbai airport, Air India officials said the crew members were not ready for take-off and kept changing the timing, which irked the passengers who started shouting slogans, following which the security guards at the airport threatened them and even called the CRPF,” Bhatikar added. 

The police threatened to arrest Dr Bhatikar who finally, decided to call the Chief Minister Dr Pramod around 1.30 am, who came to the rescue of the passengers.

He thanked Chief Minister and appreciated his gesture. 

“I am from MGP but keeping aside party differences the Chief Minister responded to my phone and called me back five times,” he said.