Varanasi, India: A scheduled Akasa Air flight QP 1424, from Varanasi to Bengaluru failed to depart at 7:55 PM on Thursday, leaving 143 passengers stranded overnight in Varanasi following a technical issue. The flight had already been boarded when the problem surfaced.
The aircraft was being pushed back from the gate toward the runway when the pilot was alerted to a fault. As a precautionary measure, the pushback was halted and the aircraft returned to the apron for further inspection. The airline’s technical crew attempted repairs for approximately three hours, but the fault could not be fixed. By around 11:30 p.m., the airline announced that the service would not operate.
Passengers waited for several hours at the airport before being informed of the cancellation. Subsequently, Akasa Air made arrangements to accommodate the affected passengers in nearby hotels for the night.
An Akasa Air spokesperson said “Passengers who chose alternate flight options were provided airport transfers and refreshments. At Akasa Air, passenger safety and comfort are paramount, and we deeply regret the inconvenience caused.”
Authorities and airline officials have yet to release a public statement explaining the precise nature of the technical fault. No further updates regarding compensation or rebooking timelines have been formally communicated.
