On Thursday (May 30), a major scare was witnessed for passenger safety and service standards after an Air India flight was delayed for long and also did not provide proper amenities. More than 370 passengers on flight AI 183 to San Francisco were stranded for 20 hours in the plane in pathetic conditions. The flight had initially been set to depart Thursday afternoon before being pushed back to 11 a.m. on May 31. However, the flight was delayed and at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, passengers were first boarded and then left sitting inside but without air conditioning. Many of the passengers fainted from lack of oxygen and exhaustion as a consequence.
Journalist Shweta Punj highlighted the situation in a post on X, describing the ordeal: "Flight AI 183 was delayed by over eight hours, and passengers were made to board the plane and sit without air-conditioning. Later, they were asked to exit the plane after some passengers fainted."
Punj criticized the airline's handling of the situation, stating, "If there is a privatisation story that has failed, it is Air India. The DGCA [aviation regulator] must address this issue. AI 183's prolonged delay and the lack of basic amenities like air-conditioning, leading to passengers fainting, is inhuman."
This incident has sparked widespread outrage, drawing attention to the airline's inadequate response to passenger needs and safety. The delay and poor conditions have prompted calls for immediate action from aviation authorities to ensure such incidents do not recur, emphasizing the need for stringent regulations and oversight to protect passenger welfare.
Air India has yet to issue a detailed response to the incident, but the airline is expected to face increased scrutiny and demands for better management of delays and passenger amenities moving forward.
