May 31st 2024.
Passengers on a San Francisco-bound Air India flight had a difficult time on Thursday at the Delhi airport. The flight, AI 183, was scheduled to depart at 3:30 PM, but it was delayed for six hours and finally rescheduled for the next day. The Boeing 777 aircraft had around 200 passengers on board, including elderly and young children. However, the flight faced technical issues and had to be changed, causing further delay.
Unfortunately, the new aircraft had a malfunctioning air-conditioning system, which led to some passengers fainting. The situation became even more uncomfortable as the passengers were asked to wait in the aerobridge for nearly an hour before they were allowed to go back to the airport. One of the passengers shared that they had to wait for almost an hour before the gates were opened, and the heat inside the aircraft only added to their frustration.
The airline officials later confirmed that the flight was rescheduled for the next day at 3:00 PM. They explained that the delay was due to a technical issue and engineering checks had to be carried out. Moreover, the crew had exceeded their Flight Duty Time Limitation, and the flight would have violated night landing restrictions in San Francisco if it had taken off. This was at least the second time in a week that Air India passengers on a San Francisco flight had to face such a delay.
Meanwhile, some passengers took to social media to express their frustration and complained about the lack of air-conditioning inside the aircraft. A journalist, Shweta Punj, shared a post on Twitter, stating that the flight was delayed for over eight hours, and passengers were made to board the plane without air conditioning. She also shared a picture of passengers sitting on the floor at the Delhi airport.
In response to the complaints, an airline official clarified that the passengers were given the option of a full refund, complimentary rescheduling, and hotel accommodation. However, one of the passengers claimed that they were not offered any of these options and that the flight was rescheduled from an 8:00 AM departure to 3:00 PM.
This is not the first time that Air India has faced such issues. In May, a flight from Mumbai to San Francisco was rescheduled and finally departed after a delay of nearly 31 hours. The delay was due to multiple reasons, including a technical glitch. In March, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security issued new guidelines to allow passengers to exit the aircraft through an airport departure gate if there is a long delay after boarding. However, it is uncertain if Air India followed these guidelines in this case.
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