On 3rd June'11 i had been to to Mumbai for one day visit to my client. I had my return journey scheduled for the last flight to Hyderabad on the same day. The Spice Jet flight was scheduled at 9:20PM. I reached Santa Cruz Domestic Airport by 8:00PM as i couldn't do web check-in. Not much of crowd and my check-in was through in just 15 mins. I grabbed a bite and walked the lounge waiting for my manager.
We passed through the security by 8:30PM to be at the Gate06 by 8:40PM. The terminal was very small and fully crowded already. I hadn't seen much crowd in this terminal in any of my previous visits to Mumbai. It was raining heavily and the delay in all the flight departures was the reason for the sudden crowd in that terminal.
We could find two seats vacated at the far corner and grabbed them at once. Just as we took our seat in the lounge, there was an announcement about a delay of 40 mins of our flight. It was re-scheduled to 10:00PM. It was obvious too as it was heavily raining outside. I thought it was OK and sensible.
By 9:45PM, there came another announcement with the next estimated time of take off as 11:15PM. Crap! the rain has settled down some 15 mins ago and again this postponement? With this, i noticed some ppl walking to the gate to inquire about the reason for further postponement. It seems the executive at desk was well prepared for such counters and so has handled the queries with not much effort.
This terminal of airport is the oldest terminal probably. It has just 1 book shop, 3 eateries and one bar extension. Not much to do. Not much to go around to kill time. I opened my laptop with my data card. This terminal doesn't have signal either for the internet connectivity. I closed the laptop and made some calls to my home and friends reg. the delay of the flight. I have to go to one corner of the terminal to get the signal working. I guess its problem with signal strength of Tataindicom. My photon+ & tata indicom faced some problem with signal strength.
With an un-noticed announcement i saw many ppl walking to the one of the gates. I thought its reg. boarding of some flight. But it was actually to collect the food distributed by the airport/airlines authorities. There was pretty long queue at this food counter. I know, i was not patient enough to wait in the long queue. I went to both the eateries to get something to eat. There nothing other than sandwich/samosa/vadapav. I was really bored of eating those and also i wasn't dat hungry to eat something which i don't like to eat. I went to the book shop if i could find some book with which i can pass on my time. But nothing interesting. I could notice some ppl having a gud time at the bar table. These are ppl who would wait for a chance to drink, and delay of flight is not a chance to forgo...ha ha ha...
My watch showed 10:30PM when the next announcement came. The flight is now postponed to 1:00AM now. I could hear heavy sighs at once. I thought, this going to be long night at airport.
This announcement irked many ppl who were eagerly waiting for the boarding to start. There were some loud shouts and even some thuds which caused many ppl to just get up from their serious time pass work and peep in to the gate exit. There was some serious arguments happening with the airways executives. The scene has turned quite violent with some ppl forced in to open the gate and start the boarding. The executives argues, when there is no board to flight, what can we do. Just then landed a spice jet flight which was visible in the dark & calm runway.
The spicejet ppl argued of many other bull shit reasons. Once they said that "the flight has to be re-fuelled", and after an hour "the fight has to be vigil ed for maintenance". The spicejet desk was all surrounded by many angry passengers and they knew that its going to be tough to handle. They immediately called up someone and intimated the passengers that their senior is coming up. This silenced some of the crowd. But someone from the crowd grumbled, "Tumhara senior ho ya tumhara baap ho, yeh batao ki flight kab nikhal raha hain?". This ignited some more passengers & situation was turning out of control. Immediately, one of the executive ran to the security and brought some 2 jawans for protection purpose. Finally, after again explaining the problem to them, it was guranteed by some senior spicejet executive that flight will be boarded at any cost at 1:00AM. Unhappy crowd settled down with no option left.
There are some typical human psychologies to read from this situation. There was young couples trying to grab a nap resting on each other shoulders. There was some ppl trying to console their children who are actually crying due to suffocation. Some old ppl having hard time trying to adjust themselves in the hard iron seats in the terminal. There were some characters who were enjoying the brawl. Some ppl capturing the whole quite-violent situation in cameras & mobile phones. Cracking jokes on the situation....watching movies....reading books etc etc.
I was really damn bored and my ipod also has no latest movies to watch. Took out the laptop and watched a movie. Then went around the inner section of the gate where it was really calm and all the ppl who believed that the flight is not going take off so early was sleeping. Limited number of the reclining chairs were occupied by senior citizens & ppl who are travelling with Kids.
My watch ticked 1:00AM and the announcement started. Who were awake were all ears to the announcement expecting this to be boarding call. But....bull shit! Again a postponement till 4:00AM. This time, they left no option again to the angry passengers other than assault. With in no time 20-25 ppl rushed to the desk. It was more serious this time. The executive was even hit once on the head and shoulder by someone in the crowd. I thought its going to turn into violent counter, the jawans rushed back to the desk. But, this time, passengers were in don't-care temperament. After really serious and loud argument, finally, they started the boarding. We were happy, finally boarding started.
The boarding was done in matter of 30mins and everyone settled down quickly. The flight was not tidy and the least leg room I've ever seen on a flight. It was 2:00AM. Atmosphere in flight calm & serious. The air-hostess's served some drinks. It was 2:45AM. There came another announcement from the cock-pit. It was the pilot this time, announcing some unforseen delay,"I'm captain of your flight no: XXXXX from Mumbai to Hyderabad. Haa..yaah I know it has been long day for us and you ppl to waiting for long hours for the flight. We understand your frustration. But, please understand, we cant fly immediately as i'm waiting for a clearance from the Air traffic clearance to fly at this odd time." Odd time? Who made this situation? There was an uproar of sighs altogether. Some ppl sprung to their feet and rushed towards the cock-pit where they was stopped by air-hostess's trying to please them to take their seats as they have nothing in their hands to do now. Almost mutiny. The voice from the cock-pit, "without air traffic clearance it would be a crime for me to fly and also my job will be at stake and can also be booked under criminal offense. Expecting your co-operation".
The tittle-tattle settle down slowly with some parties still discussing the reasons for the delay.
I tried to sleep but with in vain. After around 45 mins, another announcement from the captain
expecting some more delay in getting the clearance. This announcement didn't have many audience to react with some ppl where sleeping in the zero sized seats and some ppl where not having anything to argue. By this time, ppl understood that despite of their uproars, quarrels, arguments there is nothing to happen expect the clearance from air traffic control. I could see my manager sleeping happily beside me. He now-and-then wakes up and asks, "Whats the status? What is going to happen?" and steadily go to sleep without even bothering for my answer.
I don't know when i dropped to sleep, but it was around 5:00AM when i woke up with some loud noise disturbing my sleep. I noticed some 10-15 ppl walking to wards the entrance. I thought there was some more delay announced & that triggered this. The aircraft door was opened and some ppl walked down to the terminal to achieve something. Some ppl even sat down on the ground rite below the aircraft. How much time can u sit in that zero sized seats of flight...aah? This remembered me of our local RTC buses which stop at frequent intervals in a night journey and ppl walk down the bus for a smoke/tea or some break...ha ha haaa :). I thought, "this is not going to work out. Its dodgy" and came back to my seat to get back to sleep.
Finally at 6:30AM the flight was on the runway for take off. I slept through out the journey. In my all domestic flight journey's i didn't sleep so much. We landed at Hyderabad Shamshabad airport within an hour at 7:30AM some 20 minutes ahead of scheduled arrival time. So, this is my nite @ mumbai airport waiting for Spice-Jet to take-off.
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