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British Airways passengers stranded at Mumbai Airport | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Nearly 40 British Airways (BA) passengers have been stranded in Mumbai Airport after they missed a connecting flight. | Nearly 40 British Airways (BA) passengers have been stranded in Mumbai Airport after they missed a connecting flight. |
One passenger said children and disabled people were among those forced to sleep on the floor after delays affected a connecting flight. | One passenger said children and disabled people were among those forced to sleep on the floor after delays affected a connecting flight. |
Musician Sean Read said a "massive shouting match" erupted between staff and he was unsure when he would return home. | Musician Sean Read said a "massive shouting match" erupted between staff and he was unsure when he would return home. |
BA said it is trying to help customers. | BA said it is trying to help customers. |
Mr Read, who is the keyboard player for the Manic Street Preachers, the Rockingbirds and Chrissie Hynde, tweeted that some families had paid up to £5,000 to get home as a result of the problems. | |
'Offered no food' | 'Offered no food' |
He was among 38 passengers who had flown from Goa to Mumbai with Air India on Sunday night. | |
Mr Read, from Hackney, east London, said they had missed the connecting BA flight to Heathrow because of a number of problems including "delays getting through security and no walkway being present for us to leave the plane and get into the terminal". | |
The Heathrow flight was due to depart at 02:30 local time (21:00 GMT on Sunday) and Mr Read said BA was aware passengers were due to board the flight, but the company let the plane take off. | |
He said he had been told by Air India that BA would hold the flight, but following the departure there was a "massive shouting match" between staff of the two airlines. | |
Mr Read said: "Staff left us to sleep on the airport floor. There were kids, people in wheelchairs and we were offered no food or hotels. | Mr Read said: "Staff left us to sleep on the airport floor. There were kids, people in wheelchairs and we were offered no food or hotels. |
"Forty of us were left in an empty airport. | |
"[On Sunday] staff told us it could take up to eight days to get us all home. | |
"Today some people have managed to get flights and the airlines seem to be both working together." | "Today some people have managed to get flights and the airlines seem to be both working together." |
'Dodgy signals' | 'Dodgy signals' |
At about 19:00 local time (13:30 GMT) on Monday, 12 people remained, said Mr Read. | |
"BA have offered us a hotel for the night. They can't give us any guarantees, but they're hoping we'll leave within the next 24 hours. | |
"Most of us are professionals. I've got recordings and meetings I'm meant to attend and I've had to reorganise them using dodgy internet and phone signals," Mr Read said. | "Most of us are professionals. I've got recordings and meetings I'm meant to attend and I've had to reorganise them using dodgy internet and phone signals," Mr Read said. |
A BA spokesman said: "We are doing all we can to assist customers who missed their connection to our flight from Mumbai to London. | A BA spokesman said: "We are doing all we can to assist customers who missed their connection to our flight from Mumbai to London. |
"In order to get them on their way as quickly as possible we have booked a number of customers on to flights with other airlines, and we are working to rebook those remaining on to the next available flights." | |
Air India is yet to comment. | Air India is yet to comment. |