Flyers stuck in Thiruvananthapuram airport for 24 hours due to snag on int'l flight

Passengers of a Jeddah-bound flight of Indonesia-based Lion Air were stranded at the international airport here for around 24 hours after a technical issue was found in the aircraft when it stopped for refuelling here on Tuesday, airport sources said.

An alternative aircraft of the airline arrived from Indonesia on Wednesday afternoon to take the passengers onward to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the source said.

The Lion Air flight -- JT052 -- with 212 passengers landed at the Thiruvananthapuram International airport at 3 pm on Tuesday for refuelling and that is when the technical issue was spotted.

Subsequently, the passengers were deboarded and moved to the airport's security holding area where they had to stay till Wednesday 4 pm when an alternative aircraft arrived from Indonesia to take them onward to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the source said.

The passengers were provided food and facilities to rest in the security holding area during this time, the source added.

The aircraft with the technical fault underwent temporary repairs and then was flown back empty to Indonesia, he said.