Mumbai: Vacation dreams of 40 daily-wagers crushed

The women whose flight was cancelled sit outside the Royal Nepal Airlines’ office at Chakala in Andheri East on Tuesday. Pics/Kirti Surve Parade

The dream of 40 women daily-wage domestic workers to sit in a plane for the first time and unwind for four days in Nepal appears to have been dashed, as Royal Nepal Airlines - also known as Nepal Airlines - is yet to provide an alternative arrangement for passengers after a flight, RNA202, was cancelled on November 3. The women, some of whom are senior citizens, had planned their trip meticulously, saving Rs 40,000 over two years in the hope of receiving respite from their daily routine.

Sheeja Pillai, another member of the group, said, "After completing the immigration process, we were waiting at our gate for the boarding to start. Five minutes before boarding time, 3.45 pm, we were informed that the flight was delayed and would now depart at 9 pm. At 8.30 pm, the airline staff told us that the flight was cancelled. They [staff] promised us that they would arrange for an alternate travel option the next day [November 4]. The airline failed to do this."

Vaibhavi Tawade, a member of the group

She added, "We were hoping that our journey would resume but that was not the case. It has been over 48 hours [as of 4.30 pm on Tuesday] since we've been stranded at the accommodation provided by the airline, Hotel Le Grande."

According to the women, the accommodation was not provided till 2.30 am on Monday.

The women sit outside Royal Nepal Airlines' office in Andheri East on Tuesday. Pics/Kirti Surve Parade

Pillai said, "Around midnight, we were expelled from the airport by the airline staff after a long dialogue [between the women, tour organisers and airline staff]. We had no other option other than to sit on the floor outside the airport security zone before the accommodation was provided."

‘Had to pay for rides to hotel'

Rahul Divedi, the tour organiser, told mid-day, "After accommodation was arranged, the airline arranged for a five-seater car which made only two rounds and never came back to the terminal. I had to book whatever cab service was available and use other means of transport to get those stranded to the hotel. This cost around Rs 5,000 and I paid the amount from my pocket. Around 3.30 am, we were served food after which, we went to our rooms to rest."

Sheeja Pillai, member of group

Divedi continued, "We were promised that a representative from the airline would be with us at the hotel to inform us about the new timings for our departure but no one from the airline turned up. On Monday morning, we started calling up the airline's Mumbai office at Chakala for an update. We were only informed that they [airline] were working on the issue. There was absolutely no update the entire day. I even sent mails to the airline CEO, the DGCA [Directorate General of Civil Aviation], Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air Seva grievance, but to no avail."

Divedi said he also called up the regional manager of the airline. "The regional manager was so rude to us. It seemed as if the airline did not care for passengers. Today [Tuesday], the airline offered us credit receipts, telling us that we would be able to travel any other day within a year. What about the losses these women will face if they are not properly compensated? These are women earning daily wages. I cannot ask them to spend another Rs 10,000 to plan a trip some other day."

‘Our demand is simple'

Vaibhavi Tawade, a member of the same group, said, "We cannot afford to go on a holiday every now and then. We are not government or corporate employees who get a set number of days off. Today, all of us went to the airline's Mumbai office. Our demand is simple: just arrange another aircraft to fly us to Nepal and back. The stay at hotels there can still be adjusted provided we reach the country."

She added, "If the airline is offering compensation, we should receive the entire amount, not just the cost of a one-way ticket. We have toiled in order to take this trip. What we need is justice, not false assurances. We are not going to leave the airline office until justice is served. All of us are mentally, physically and financially exhausted because of this incident."

Bird strike led to grounding

Sources said the aircraft in question - Airbus A320 - was AOG (Aircraft on Ground) at an Air India hangar where it is undergoing repairs. They added that a part of the aircraft, which requires replacement, is yet to reach them.

The airline's Mumbai office revealed, "While en route to Mumbai, the aircraft in question had a bird strike resulting in its grounding. All standard operating procedures are being followed."

Officials from the airline's Mumbai office are monitoring the situation.

2.30AM
Time accommodation was provided on Monday