Confusion Over New Airport Leads To Cross-Country Trip

Say what? A pilot for KLM Airlines has some explaining to do -- as does his flight dispatcher -- after he flew past his destination early Sunday morning: the newly-opened airport in Hyderabad, India.

According to Agence-France Presse, the flight from Amsterdam flew past Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad, which became operational after midnight Saturday. The KLM pilot initially flew towards the city's old airport... but was told by air traffic control the facility had been shut down. When ATC directed the pilot towards the new airport, the unnamed pilot reportedly replied, "What's that?"

What happened next is even odder. He then steered a course towards New Delhi... where the flight was denied permission to land. So, the pilot continued the cross-country jaunt... flying to Mumbai, where the aircraft finally landed with 243 somewhat dazed passengers onboard.

Meanwhile, people awaiting the outbound flight from Gandhi International were kept waiting, as their aircraft landed about 400 miles away.

There's no official explanation on what happened... though the Times of India, citing the ever-popular unnamed source, says the pilot was reluctant to land in Shamshabad, since the airline had not received notice the old airport closed down.

The opening of Rajiv Gandhi was delayed by about a week, after airlines requested more time to transfer their equipment from the old facility.

FMI: www.klm.com, www.newhyderabadairport.com/