Air India passengers kept waiting for 3 hours as flight faces icing issues

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A Hong Kong-bound Air India flight from Mumbai via Delhi with 256 passengers on board was on Wednesday delayed by nearly three hours due to icing on the exterior parts of the aircraft.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane had flown in from sub-zero temperature and was scheduled for departure from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here at 7.45 pm.

The flight, AI 314, was rescheduled for take off at 10.45 pm, according to the airline's spokesperson.

The delay was because the plane was undergoing 'anti- icing' before take-off, the official said.

However, the airline had to finally arrange for another aircraft for the flight to Hong Kong.

Anti-icing or de-icing is removal of snow, ice or frost from the plane's surface. The ice on the wings and fuselage of a fully-fuelled aircraft can prevent it taking off.

De-icing involves spraying the aircraft with a chemical which protects its surface from ice formation.