Air India gets ministry notice over 20-hour flight delay
Air India on Friday received a notice from the Civil Aviation Ministry due to a 20-hour delay on a Delhi-San Francisco flight. The delay, attributed to "operational reasons," initially began with an eight-hour postponement before the flight was eventually rescheduled. The total delay time exceeded 20 hours, causing significant inconvenience for around 200 passengers on board. The Aviation Ministry has questioned Air India as to why measures were not taken to alleviate passenger discomfort in Delhi's near-50 degree Celsius heat.
Technical glitches lead to passenger discomfort
The initial delay was due to a technical glitch in the original aircraft, necessitating a switch to another plane. However, the replacement plane had a malfunctioning air-conditioning system which led to discomfort among passengers, with some even fainting. A passenger reported that passengers were made to board the plane and sit without air conditioning before being deplaned and kept from reentering the terminal because "immigration was done." Notably, Delhi is battling an extreme heatwave with temperatures reaching a record high.
Journalist Shweta Punj narrates ordeal on X
DGCA guidelines not adhered to
Visuals posted by passengers showed people, including children, sitting on the floor looking exhausted. Some had even taken off their shoes due to the heat. To recall, in January, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued guidelines to manage chaos from a fog-induced rush at Delhi airport. The SOP for handling denied boarding, flight cancellations, and delays stated airlines may cancel flights delayed beyond three hours. The DGCA had mandated immediate adherence to the SOP by all airlines.
