Bhubaneswar (Gurpreet Singh): A passenger was booked by police on Friday after creating a major disturbance at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar following the abrupt cancellation of her flight to Kolkata. The woman reportedly shouted at airline counter staff, climbed onto a luggage conveyor belt, and threw several objects across the terminal area in frustration over the delay.
Videos of the confrontation quickly circulated across social media platforms, showing the visibly distressed passenger—who reportedly had an unwell child waiting for her in Kolkata—venting her anger at airport ground staff. Fellow travellers noted that the flight, originally scheduled to depart at 2:35 PM on Thursday, was only declared cancelled around 5:30 PM due to technical issues, leaving passengers stranded without timely updates or clear alternatives.
The situation was brought under control after personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) intervened. Airport authorities subsequently lodged a formal complaint against the woman at the Airport Police Station for damaging public property and misbehaving with airline representatives without prior provocation, prompting the registration of a First Information Report (FIR).
Airport officials confirmed that the passenger was later accommodated on an alternative routing to Kolkata via New Delhi. In response to the disruption, the airline provided refreshments and issued travel vouchers worth Rs 5,000 to affected passengers as compensation, while local police confirmed that an active investigation into the incident is underway.
