Mumbai: A Jet Airways flight en route to Jaipur from Mumbai had to return mid-way as the 166 passengers had to suffer nasal and ear bleeding as the airline’s crew forgot to press a switch that helps in maintaining cabin air pressure during take-off.

As per the statement by an official, oxygen masks were deployed in mid-air.

As per the initial reports, a total of 30 passengers suffered nose bleeding issue on board. Some others were complaining of a headache. The affected passengers are being taken care of by doctors at the airport.

But the fresh report in this regard says that five of those Airways passengers, who suffered nose and ear bleeding on Thursday as the crew failed to switch on the facility of controlling air pressure, were suffering from mild conductive deafness”, according to a hospital.

All the five were taken to Dr. Balabhai Nanavati Hospital by the authorities concerned and the leftover patients are still being attended by the doctors at the Mumbai airport.

The preliminary examination by ENT doctors at the airport suggested that the five passengers were suffering from “barotrauma” of the ear, and the main cause of such suffering is due to the change in air pressure, said Rajendra Patankar, the chief operating officer of Dr. Balabhai Nanavati Hospital.

“The five patients, all men, have mild conductive deafness, a temporary condition which is likely to take a week or 10 days to heal. They are advised not to fly till then,” Mr Patankar told reporters.

“They are under observation and are stable. It seems there is no need for their admission in hospital. They are undergoing all required tests,” he said.

The flight, which was en route to Jaipur from Mumbai was carrying 166 passengers and five crew members on board.

“During climb, the crew forgot to select bleed switch due to which cabin pressurisation could not be maintained. As a result, oxygen masks got deployed,” the official at aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), said.

The flight (Boeing 737) aircraft had to return to Mumbai due to “loss of cabin pressure” and the pilots of the aircraft have been suspended for some time to go through a pending investigation, a Jet Airways spokesperson said.

As per the initial information, the official said that few of the passengers have the issue of nose bleeding.

“Out of 166 passengers on board, 30 passengers are affected… some have nose bleeding, a few have ear bleeding and some are complaining of headache,” he added.

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