Passengers of a Jeddah-bound flight of Indonesia-based Lion Air were stranded at the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram for approximately 24 hours due to a technical issue. The problem was detected when the aircraft stopped for refuelling on Tuesday, according to airport sources.
An alternative aircraft from Indonesia arrived on Wednesday afternoon to transport the passengers to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the sources added.
The Lion Air flight, with 212 passengers, landed at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Shortly after, the technical issue was discovered. Passengers were then deboarded and relocated to the airport’s security holding area. They had to remain there until Wednesday at 4 p.m. when the alternative aircraft arrived to continue their journey to Jeddah, according to the sources.
During their 24-hour wait, the passengers were given food and provided with rest facilities in the security holding area, the sources mentioned.
The aircraft with the technical fault underwent temporary repairs before being flown back to Indonesia empty, the sources concluded.
