Passengers on board an Akasa Air flight from Pune to Bengaluru were deplaned on Tuesday morning after a last-minute technical glitch was detected in the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, sources said.

The Bengaluru-bound flight, QP1312, was scheduled to depart from Pune at 8.50 am, with boarding beginning around 8.10 am. However, passengers remained seated inside the aircraft for nearly one and a half hours before being asked to disembark.

"Akasa Air Bangalore-bound flight -- QP1312-- from Pune on January 13 is held up at Pune airport.

"Passengers had boarded the aircraft and the flight was getting ready for departure when some technical issue was reported in the aircraft at the last minute. Later, all the passengers were deplaned," a passenger told PTI from Pune.

In a communication sent to passengers, Akasa Air said the flight QIP 1312 was delayed due to operational reasons and informed that it would now depart at 1.15 pm. However, another passenger said the revised time of departure had not been announced at the time of deplaning.

An Akasa Air spokesperson was not available for comment.