Surat: Passengers faced a 10-hour delay on Air India Express’s Delhi–Surat–Bangkok flight on Tuesday, causing frustration as many had connecting flights to China, Vietnam and other countries.The flight, originally scheduled to depart Delhi at 5:25 am, took off four hours late due to dense fog in the capital and arrived at Surat Airport around 11:15am instead of 7:30am. Upon landing, the pilot reported a bird strike. Airport staff initially failed to locate the bird, but an engine inspection revealed a dead bird lodged in the fan blades.As the aircraft underwent thorough checks, around 130 passengers waited at the airport, growing increasingly agitated due to a lack of information from airline officials. Passengers said that timely communication could have helped them make alternative arrangements for their connecting flights from Bangkok.To resolve the situation, another flight was brought in from Jaipur to accommodate all passengers. The delayed flight eventually departed Surat at 8:41pm instead of the scheduled 9 am.
