Tension ran high at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here on Wednesday after stranded air passengers created a ruckus protesting delay of a Bhubaneswar-Bangalore AirAsia flight for over 12 hours due to dense fog.
The irate passenger closed the boarding gate-4 at the airport when another Bhubaneswar-Hyderabad flight of the same airline was scheduled for departure. Sources said the Hyderabad-bound Air Asia flight was also delayed for some time in the morning.
However, CISF personnel deployed at the airport pacified the angry passengers and brought the situation under control.
Sources said around 100 passengers, including a pregnant woman and kids were stranded at the airport since the night as the I5-1563 AirAsia flight they were about to board at 10 pm on Tuesday was delayed as dense fog engulfed the city.
Some passengers alleged that no food or beverages were provided to them during the delay by the airline or the airport authorities due to which they had to starve.
“We have been stranded here since last light. What is more upsetting is the airline authorities are not even clarifying any tentative time for takeoff of the flight. They have not even made any arrangements for us,” said an irate passenger.