Overview
- The service left Bengaluru around 10:30 am Thursday but could not land in Kathmandu, first diverting to Varanasi and later, on a fresh attempt Friday, to Lucknow before returning to Bengaluru.
- Roughly 180 travelers, including organized tour groups with at least 37 people from Karnataka, reported long delays and disrupted itineraries.
- Passengers alleged poor communication and scant provisions during hours kept on board, with reported delay durations ranging from about 18 hours to more than 30 hours.
- Frustrated travelers staged a sit-in near the immigration area at Terminal 2 in Bengaluru, and CISF personnel intervened to manage the crowd.
- Air India Express said persistent adverse weather in Kathmandu caused diversions on February 26–27, stated that hotels, refunds or rescheduling were offered, and noted a recovery flight is scheduled for Saturday after an earlier recovery attempt also diverted.