Air India And IndiGo Passengers Face Unthinkable Delays—What Really Happened?

Passengers of Air India flight AI909, scheduled to depart for Dubai at 9 am on Saturday, faced significant delays, spending over eight hours at Mumbai Airport, according to a Mid-day report. The passengers, who boarded the aircraft around 8:45 am, were forced to stay inside for nearly three hours without air conditioning before being deboarded. The lack of basic amenities, such as water, led to one passenger fainting.

Shweta Powar, an entrepreneur on the flight, shared her experience with Mid-Day, saying, "Many of us arrived at the airport around 5 am as it was an international flight. Many passengers hadn't even had breakfast. Boarding began at 8:15 am but stopped abruptly at 8:30 am. The crew told us there was a technical issue, and boarding would resume in 10 minutes. We were all inside the aircraft by 8:45 am, but it didn't take off. We sat there until 11:40 am."

Photo Credit: PTI

Powar further explained that the lack of air conditioning led to discomfort for many passengers, with some experiencing dizziness and nausea. "We asked the crew for updates, but they didn't have any. They served us some food, but that was all."

Around 11 am, the captain announced that a technical issue had been fixed by the ground crew, but the flight still did not depart. At 11:45 am, passengers were asked to deboard. Powar added in the report, "There were elderly and diabetic passengers on board, and some of us missed our connecting flights. After deboarding, we were directed to a transit lounge, but no water was provided during this time. A passenger who had recently undergone surgery fainted."

Nishtha Chadha, another passenger, remarked in the same report, "The pilots explained the technical issue, but that doesn't justify making us sit on the aircraft for three hours without air conditioning."

Boarding resumed at 3:45 pm, and the flight finally departed at 5:10 pm. Air India has not responded to requests for comment.

IndiGo Passengers Also Experience Long Delay

Similarly, passengers on IndiGo flight 6E6114 from Delhi to Mumbai were reportedly stuck on the aircraft for over six hours due to dense fog in Delhi. The flight, scheduled to depart at 10 pm on January 3, eventually took off at 3:40 am on January 4.

IndiGo acknowledged the delay, attributing it to adverse weather conditions in Delhi. In a statement, the airline explained, "The extended delay occurred due to fog and low visibility at Delhi. The aircraft departed once conditions improved. We regret the inconvenience caused and appreciate the understanding of our passengers."