MUMBAI- A passenger on a Tata Air India (AI) Delhi-San Francisco flight reported that several individuals fainted due to a lack of air-conditioning (AC) after an eight-hour delay. Journalist Shweta Punj shared on X that flight AI183 experienced an over eight-hour delay.
During this time, passengers were boarded and left to sit without air-conditioning at Delhi airport. Eventually, after some passengers fainted, they were asked to disembark.
Air India DEL-SFO Flight Canceled
Delhi is enduring an intense heatwave, with temperatures soaring to a record 52.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
In a post on X, journalist Shweta Punj criticized Air India, citing flight AI183’s eight-hour delay and the lack of air-conditioning on board. She mentioned that passengers were eventually deplaned after some fainted, calling the situation “inhuman.” Punj tagged Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in her post.
Air India’s X handle responded, expressing regret for the disruptions and assuring Punj that their team is working to address the delay. They also mentioned that assistance would be provided to passengers.
Another passenger, Abhishek Sharma, urged the airline to take swift action, highlighting the plight of his parents and many others stranded at the boarding area, asking for them to be allowed to go home.
“AI 183 is over eight hours late. Passengers were boarded and made to sit without air conditioning. They were then deplaned and not allowed to re-enter the terminal because immigration had already been completed,” Mr. Sharma posted on X.
The Air India X handle responded to Mr. Sharma with the same message it sent to Ms. Punj, expressing regret for the disruption and assuring that they were working to address the delay.
Visuals shared by other passengers showed people, including children, sitting on the floor, looking exhausted, and some had taken off their shoes.
DGCA Guidelines
In January, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued guidelines to manage chaotic situations, especially during fog at Delhi airport.
The DGCA’s standard operating procedure (SOP) for handling denied boarding, flight cancellations, and delays stated that airlines might cancel flights expected to be delayed beyond three hours.
The DGCA mandated that all airlines follow this SOP immediately.
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News.