“It”s a matter of national pride for us.” This is how Air India said why it was operating special flight – AIC24WC- from Barbados to Delhi that was bringing back home the world cup winning Men in Blue who had been stranded by the hurricane Beryl in that Caribbean island.
The BCCI were trying to organize a special charter to ferry back the players, their families and support staff who had travelled to Barbados for the last weekend’s world cup final which was won by India. They were supposed take Emirates but there were no flights to Barbados because of the hurricane.
“BCCI had been in touch with several airways and charter plane services so as to lift Team India out of Barbados. They even approached us. We saw this as a matter of national pride. It was planned that a Boeing 777 would fly Newark-Delhi on July 1. But this did not happen since its flight cancelled and sent it to Barbados,” said AI sources.
There are over 200 passengers whose names have been registered for this same flight.
“We informed passengers and offered them places on other airlines. Nevertheless, many people came at the airport for this flight. Some flew United from Newark to Delhi; others went by road up to New York. And then took another AI aircraft from there; others were taken into hotels” he told me.
“The team hotel in Barbados was running out of food, water and other essential items. Other carriers declined operating extra flights. We thought it was our national obligation and honour to operate it. Once we determined that it could be done absolutely safely, we transported the aircraft from Newark up till Barbados,” noted AI sources.
AI needs some report on this from DGCA.
