Flights disrupted across India as Hyderabad airport re-fuelling system fails

Airline flight schedules went haywire on Monday, due to a re-fuelling problem at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Hyderabad. A technical hitch in the fuel hydrant system of Reliance, the fuel franchisee, led to disruptions and delaying almost all the morning flights by up to two hours.

27 flights were delayed due to 'pressurisation problem' in the Reliance fuel system, forcing the airport operator GHIAL to carry fuel up to the aircraft in tankers.

Passengers were a anxious and irritated lot, and some of they were additionally nervous, coming on the back of yesterday's 'hijack' drama at New Delhi.

The early morning delays, have led to a nationwide domino effect, and all downstream flights across India have been delayed. One airline spokesman put it simply -- "It's chaos today."

Time for Reliance to have some reliable backup plans. (sorry, just could not resist the pun).