Chaos erupted at Kempegowda International Airport after passengers travelling to Nepal staged a protest against Air India Express, accusing the airline of severe mismanagement that disrupted their journey for two straight days.

According to passengers, the flight departed Bengaluru for Kathmandu at 10.30 am on Thursday but returned without landing in the Nepalese capital under circumstances that were not clearly communicated. The uncertainty deepened on Friday when the same aircraft reportedly took off again, only to be diverted to Lucknow after failing to land in Kathmandu for a second time.

Travellers alleged that they were forced to remain seated inside the aircraft for hours after it landed in Lucknow, without clear updates from the crew. "We were kept inside the plane for hours without proper information. No one clearly explained what was happening," a passenger said during their protest on Friday.

After prolonged delays and mounting exhaustion, passengers staged a protest inside the aircraft, compelling the airline to fly them back to Bengaluru. Upon arrival, several aggrieved travellers sat in protest near the immigration area, venting anger over what they described as a two-day ordeal.

Protesters claimed they were confined inside the aircraft for more than 30 hours in total and alleged poor coordination and communication by the airline. "Our entire Nepal trip has been ruined. We planned this well in advance and suffered financial losses," another passenger said.

Personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force intervened to calm the situation, but many passengers continued their sit-in protest, demanding accountability and compensation.

More than 40 Kannada-speaking travellers were among those affected, stating that their long-planned Nepal trip had been derailed due to the airline’s alleged failure to manage the situation effectively.

There was no immediate response from the airline.