Mumbai: At least 30 passengers on board a Jet Airways flight bled from their ears and nose after cabin pressure dipped dangerously while the aircraft was taking off early Thursday. The government has ordered a safety audit plan for airlines in the wake of the incident, officials said.
Jet Airways said it derostered the cockpit crew and that they will remain off duty pending investigation.
Several passengers on board the Mumbai-Jaipur flight 9W-697 — carrying 166 persons and a five-member crew — complained of severe headache and pain in the ears after take-off about 6 am from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA).
The flight was forced to return soon after, a Jet Airways spokesperson said. The ailing passengers were deboarded and rushed to the terminal building, where doctors administered them first aid.
Airport sources said the incident may have resulted from the crew’s failure to activate the ‘bleed switch’ before take-off, which disturbed cabin pressure and forced passengers to use oxygen masks.
Taking serious note of the incident, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu ordered the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to prepare a comprehensive safety audit plan involving safety parameters on all airlines, airports, flying training schools and MROs immediately.
He also directed that the safety audit must start forthwith and that the report must be submitted to him within 30 days and corrective action taken immediately on deficiencies found during the audit, an official said.
Passengers who were on board when the incident occurred vented their ire on social media and accused the airline of ignoring their plight. “Panic situation due to technical fault in the flight. Flight returns to Mumbai after 45 minutes. All passengers are safe, including me (sic),” tweeted Darshak Hathi.
He claimed that after take-off, the air-conditioning malfunctioned following which the air pressure system failed and oxygen masks dropped down.
Another passenger Amit Relan said that the plane was on the runway for 20 minutes without ventilation, which led to suffocation, and “don’t know if [we] will make it”.
Other passengers complained of being forced to sit in the aircraft for long, with no breakfast or information from the airline. “We emergency-landed. Now what? Ground staff has no answers. Kya karein?” Prashant Sharma tweeted. Many passengers also posted videos of the incident.