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Over 150 passengers stranded at airport

DUBAI — More than 170 passengers were stranded at Dubai International Airport's Terminal 2 yesterday because GMG Airlines' Dubai-Dhaka flight Z5092, had to return shortly after take-off on Saturday night due to a technical problem in the engine. The flight was expected to leave after a 30-hour delay at 3 o'clock this morning.

GMG Executive Director, Virendra Nautiyal told Khaleej Times yesterday that hotel accommodation could not be provided to all passengers for Saturday night as the flight, with 172 passengers, had been expected to leave the same night after repairs. However, hotel accomodation was provided yesterday around 6pm, only after we learnt that spare parts would have to be imported from Malaysia.

The passengers yesterday evening were moved to London Crown Hotel in Bur Dubai and Karama Hotel in Karama.

Nautiyal said more than 70 passengers had difficulty leaving the airport for hotel accommodation because their visas had expired or been cancelled because they had overstayed or were in jail and were being deported. The authorities, however, agreed to allow all, but 20 passengers, to leave the airport until their flight.

Sympathising with the stranded passengers, Nautiyal said, the 20-odd passengers were left behind at the airport only because of legal issues and the airline cannot take guarantee for such passengers to be checked into hotels.

“We are humans — we want to look after our passengers,” he said, urging the need for some accommodation facilities to be available at the airport under such circumstances.

Meanwhile, passengers yesterday complained of the flight delay and had not been taken care of by the airline.

"I have received shocking information about my daughter, who has met with a terrible mishap back in Dhaka. She is in a coma at the moment and I need to rush immediately. But I am stranded here since Saturday night. Moreover, no one from the airline company was available till late at night(Saturday) to give us firsthand information. This is really frustrating as I could have easily taken an Emirates flight to Dhaka," said an angry A.H, who works in government department in Dubai.

Another irate passenger Rafiqul Islam who works with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said, "The airline officials were nowhere to be seen on Saturday night. I tried searching for them to know the reasons for the delay, but in vain.”

Nautiyal claimed food and care was provided to the passengers and apologised for the inconvenience caused due to the delay.

He said spare parts required to rectify the technical fault were expected to arrive at Dubai International Airport at 9.45pm yesterday on a flight from Malaysia. After the repairs were completed, take-off was expected at about 3am Monday morning, he said, adding that the flight would also include passengers from the regular scheduled 9pm flight yesterday.

The corresponding Dhaka-Dubai flight, due to depart Dhaka in the afternoon yesterday, will have been delayed several hours by the time the flight arrives into Dubai today, the official said.

Meanwhile, another flight delay was reported at Dubai International Airport's Terminal 2 yesterday . The Pakistan-based Shaheen Airlines flight NL-737 (Dubai-Karachi), which departed on schedule at 6am yesterday, had to return immediately after take-off due to technical problems and has consequently been delayed. The passengers were lodged at Al Nahda Hotel and the flight was rescheduled to take off late yesterday evening.

• UAE