CHENNAI: More than 100 passengers were disallowed from boarding their flight at the Madurai Airport on Friday because they had brought counterfeit flight tickets. They believed they were booked for a trip to the Ayodhya temple on a private airline, only to discover that they had been scammed by the agency.
Early this morning, over a hundred passengers who allegedly booked a trip from Madurai to Ayodhya via an agency had arrived at the airport only to be told they couldn't board their flight when they handed over their tickets during security checks at the airport.
Officials from the private airline confirmed that the tickets presented by the passengers were fraudulent and not issued by them.
Subsequently, all passengers holding these fake tickets were swiftly escorted out of the airport premises. When the passengers contacted the agent who had booked the tickets for them, he reportedly told them that someone else he knew had booked their tickets and that he would enquire and arrange proper tickets for them.
At present, the affected passengers are stranded outside the Madurai Airport, awaiting further assistance.
The incident has sparked concern over the need for vigilance in verifying travel documents.