Qatar Airways’ Delhi-Doha flight diverted to Pakistan, due to ‘smoke’; passengers share ‘ordeal’

New Delhi: A Qatar Airways plane, flying from Delhi to Dubai was on Monday diverted to Karachi in Pakistan, due to technical reasons.
The plane QR579, with about 100 people onboard, took off from Delhi airport and was bound for Doha. The aircraft left Delhi airport at 3.50 am and landed at Karachi airport at 5.30 PM.

According to the airline, the flight was diverted to Pakistan, reportedly due to smoke detected in the cargo hold. It also informed that investigation is underway to establish the reason. Meanwhile, the passengers have been offloaded and arrangements being made for an ‘alternate flight’.

However, a couple of passengers have taken to social media to share their plight and also the tough times they are going through while being left in the lurch by airline.

A cardiologist, apparently one of the passengers, took to Twitter and wrote, “What is the status of QR579 – Delhi —Doha, diverted to Karachi?. No information being offered, no food or water being offered to passengers. Customer care is clueless. ”

@qatarairways – what is the status of QR579 – Delhi —>Doha, Diverted to Karachi ??.

No information being offered, no food or water being offered to passengers. Customer care is clueless.

Please help @MoCA_GoI @JM_Scindia @Chaiti @malhotravineet7 @soniandtv

— Dr. Sameer Gupta (@SGuptaMD) March 21, 2022

Highlighting the helpless situation, the passenger has also tagged the Civil Aviation Ministry for assistance.

Another passenger Ramesh Raliya released a video message, as shared by a leading TV journalist, and said “many have connecting flights from Doha, but they haven’t got any information about when the aircraft would take-off from Karachi.”

दिल्ली से दोहा जा रहे क़तर एयरलाइंस QR579 में सवार यात्री रमेश रालिया के मुताबिक़ विमान में 100 के क़रीब यात्री हैं। अधिकतर भारतीय। कईयों की दोहा से आगे की कनेक्टिटिंग फ़्लाइट है। लेकिन विमान कराची से कब टेकऑफ करेगा इसकी कोई जानकारी नहीं।

(वीडियो कुछ मिनट पहले शूट किया गया है) https://t.co/nnMEyvpozW pic.twitter.com/EU01ijzlrn

— Umashankar Singh उमाशंकर सिंह (@umashankarsingh) March 21, 2022

“After landing in Karachi, everyone was de-boarded and made to wait at the airport. It’s 9 am now,” says the passenger in video message.

“They haven’t told us when next flight would take off. We all including women & children are waiting for alternate flight to Doha, ” he said.