With skies clearing and civilian flights resuming at Leh airport, a 30-member group of tourists from Hyderabad — stranded for the past few days in a hotel — have finally managed to book their return flight tickets for Friday morning.
A relieved Swapna, one of the tourists, said over the phone that they had noticed flights landing and taking off from Leh airport since morning and immediately rushed to inquire about their return. However, their tickets were confirmed only after considerable wrangling with the airline staff, who initially offered seats for August 31.
Another tourist, Padmavathi, alleged that a pending payment issue between the public sector tour operator and the airline had caused the delay in ticket confirmation. She expressed relief that the matter was resolved amicably.
“We contacted a Secunderabad-based travel agency, explained our situation, and highlighted the plight of elderly members in our group. The staff were kind enough to prioritize our booking and ensured we got an early flight to Delhi, followed by a connection to Hyderabad,” said Srikanth, another tourist.
With the sun finally out, the group also got some respite from the biting cold and were able to enjoy a brief visit to the local market, he added.
Published – August 28, 2025 09:58 pm IST
