Air India Flight Delay Causes Passenger Faints Due to Lack of AC
New Delhi: An Air India flight from Delhi to San Francisco was delayed by 24 hours on Thursday, resulting in severe discomfort for passengers who claimed they were left without air conditioning inside the aircraft, causing some to faint. Passengers took to social media platform X to share their experiences, showing visuals of people waiting in what appeared to be an alley leading to the aircraft.
The delay, attributed to operational issues, prompted Air India to offer a full refund and hotel accommodations to all affected passengers. However, the incident drew significant criticism online.
Journalist Shweta Punj tweeted that passengers of flight AI 183 were initially boarded and left without air conditioning at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. After some individuals fainted, passengers were deplaned. She described the situation as “inhuman” and tagged Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in her post.
“If there is a privatisation story that has failed, it is Air India. The DGCA [aviation regulator] AI 183 flight has been delayed for over eight hours. Passengers were made to board the plane without air conditioning and then deplaned after some people fainted in the flight. This is inhuman,” Shweta Punj tweeted.
In response, Air India apologized for the disruption and assured that they were working to address the delay, promising necessary assistance to the passengers.
Other social media users, including Amadro, reported similar issues, with claims that no dinner or assistance was provided. Another user, Abhishek Sharma, urged the airline to allow stranded parents and other passengers to return home.
Air India issued multiple apologies for the “inconvenience” and “discomfort,” ensuring passengers that their ground team was providing necessary support.
The incident has sparked a conversation about the state of Air India post-privatization and the effectiveness of its operational management.
