New Delhi, March 21: In the wake of the coronavirus scare in India, a Delhi-bound KLM flight from Amsterdam, carrying 100 Indian passengers, was refused permission to land in Delhi, despite clearance. The Indian passengers on board the flight, who were waiting to land in Delhi, included a pregnant woman and several senior citizens. Moreover, the flight was being run to Delhi in order to evacuate several Dutch nationals before India's ban on all flights comes into effect on Sunday. According to a report by The Hindu, there were gaps in interpreting the advisory, which caused the issue. A senior official was quoted in the report saying that the government will try to resolve the issue on Saturday. Coronavirus Cases in India Jump to 258.

The report states that the flight, KLM 871, was supposed to land in Delhi around 1 am on Saturday, but was 'redirected' back to Amsterdam by civil aviation authorities amid the rising fear over the COVID-19 pandemic. The report adds that the flight was forced to return to Amsterdam when it was flying over Russia, despite the civil aviation authorities being told that the flight was bringing transit passengers from North America. Coronavirus Propels Cancellation of Flights Across The World: What to Do If You're Stuck in Foreign Country With Expiring Visa.

India has banned several flights including the ones carrying passengers from The Netherlands and other European Union countries since March 18. However, the KLM airlines flight was given clearance as the Indian passengers on board were all in transit from the U.S. and Canada, which are not prohibited so far. After being refused permission to land in India, the flight returned to Amsterdam. The Indian passengers have been flown back while the Dutch nationals, who were waiting to be flown home, are in Delhi at present.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 21, 2020 12:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).