CHENNAI: Commotion prevailed at the international departure terminal of Chennai airport in the early hours of Monday, as a Malaysia Airlines flight (MH181) which was supposed to depart with 178 passengers to Kuala Lumpur was delayed by two hours citing an “oxygen shortage.”While half the passengers were not allowed to board the flight citing a technical glitch, the flight later departed at 2.20am with 100 passengers, though the flight was originally scheduled to depart at 11.55pm on Sunday.While Malaysia Airlines did not officially declare the reason for the delay and subsequent flying with less number of passengers, sources said that the oxygen shortage was cited as the reasons for denying boarding of certain passengers.City-based aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan said a chemical reaction generates oxygen when overhead oxygen masks are pulled in a flight during an emergency.“Airlines declare certain seats in-op (inoperable) if the chemical generator of the oxygen is not working. It could be the reason for the airlines not allowing the passengers to board the flight,” he said.One of the passengers of the flight posted on X that passengers had been stranded for more than six hours and that the airline’s staffers had given no proper response, no water, no information about the flight.The airline responded to the passenger online apologising for the occurrence. “We understand how distressing it must have been for passengers, especially those with onward connections, to experience a prolonged delay, uncertainty regarding travel arrangements, and a lack of timely updates during the disruption,” it said.Chennai airport sources confirmed that Malaysia Airlines arranged alternative flights for stranded passengers.
