Passengers aboard an Air India flight from Delhi to San Francisco faced a harrowing ordeal as the flight was delayed by 24 hours, leaving them stranded without adequate air conditioning. Several passengers took to social media platforms to express their frustration, highlighting the distressing conditions they endured.
According to claims made by passengers, individuals onboard the flight suffered from fainting spells due to the lack of air conditioning during the prolonged wait. Images shared by passengers depicted them waiting in discomfort in the aisle leading to the aircraft.
Journalist Shweta Punj recounted the distressing experience on social media, describing how passengers were made to board the aircraft without air conditioning at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Following incidents of passengers fainting, they were eventually asked to disembark from the plane.
If there is a privatisation story that has failed it is @airindia @DGCAIndia AI 183 flight has been delayed for over 8 hours , passengers were made to board the plane without air conditioning, and then deplaned after some people fainted in the flight.This is inhuman! @JM_Scindia pic.twitter.com/86KpaOAbgb
— Shweta Punj (@shwwetapunj) May 30, 2024
Expressing her dismay, Punj tagged Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in her post, denouncing the situation as “inhuman” and indicative of the failures in Air India’s operations.
Airline sources attributed the delay to operational issues and stated that Air India has offered full refunds and hotel accommodation to affected passengers.
In response to the grievances raised on social media, Air India assured passengers of necessary assistance and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused. However, this incident is not an isolated one, as similar instances of prolonged delays and discomfort have plagued Air India flights in the past.
“While growing up, I would often travel on Air India. When I moved to the US in the mid-2000s, it became my airline of choice. This choice was largely driven by feelings of homesickness and patriotism. The airline wasn’t as plush, but it wasn’t broken either. From victims of fire tragedies due to open rule violations to those facing inflated hospital bills and school fees, it’s evident that the consumer class in India is struggling. Ultimately, it is the common man who is deprived of rights. They may exist on paper, but enforcement is another battle. From home buyers at the mercy of builders to those whose insurance claims are denied, to victims of medical negligence, the challenges are many. The food and service were basic, but functional. However, today, after 24 hours of waiting, the passengers of AI 183 still face uncertainty. They were sent to a hotel last night, asked to return to the airport at 8:00 am, and now they are being sent back to the hotel,” said Shweta Punj.
Another user recounted a similar experience where passengers were left onboard an airplane without air conditioning, only to be deboarded and flown the next day due to a technical issue, questioning the recurrence of such incidents.
Yet another user shared their ordeal with a flight delayed by two hours due to a technical glitch, leaving passengers stranded without air conditioning inside the cabin. They noted multiple similar reports, hinting at a troubling pattern.
Amidst these accounts, user Abhishek Sharma urged the airline to take prompt action and requested that his parents, along with other stranded parents at the boarding area, be allowed to return home
The latest incident adds to the growing discontent among passengers over the airline’s service quality and operational efficiency. With temperatures soaring due to a scorching heatwave in Delhi and other parts of North India, the plight of stranded passengers underscores the urgent need for improved aviation services and passenger welfare measures.
