'We deserve better': Passengers of delayed Delhi-Pune Air India flight fume after 3-hour wait inside aircraft with "no AC, no food, no update"
Around 150 passengers on
Air India
's Delhi-Pune flight (
AI-2973
) faced a night of discomfort and chaos on Monday, with the flight taking off nearly 9 hours late. Flyers were kept inside the aircraft for over three hours without proper air-conditioning, refreshments or updates.
As quoted by TOI, Shivane resident Amol Rokade said he had spent almost Rs 1 lakh on tickets for his family. 'My parents were in business class, while my sister and I had premium economy seats,' he said.
Flight delays and frustration
The flight was supposed to leave Delhi at 8:50 pm and land in Pune at 11:05 pm. Instead, it departed at 5:40 am the next day and reached Pune at 7:45 am. Rokade described a series of confusing announcements and repeated delays.
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'We were told the incoming flight from Mumbai was delayed, but boarding was completed by 9:30 pm. After some taxiing, the aircraft stopped. The crew said checks were on,' he said. An hour later, the pilot mentioned engine trouble, and engineers arrived about 45 minutes later.
'They said the aircraft was ready to fly, but it didn't move for another half an hour. By 12:30 am, a ladder was attached to the door again, and further checks began,' Rokade added.
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No food, AC or clarity
Passengers grew restless as there was no food or proper air-conditioning. 'People started demanding to be deboarded. After arguments, a few were allowed to exit from the rear door, and the rest followed soon after,' he said.
Air India staff told them that another aircraft would be ready by 2 am. 'We waited for coaches to take us back to the terminal, they came after half an hour. We completed check-in and security again. The display showed 2 am as the flight time, but no aircraft had arrived till 4 am,' said Rokade.
Later, refreshments were finally offered, and boarding began again at 4 am. But some flyers refused to travel on the new plane, citing safety fears. Staff had to allow them to leave with their luggage, which took another hour.
Finally airborne, but exhausted
The plane took off from Delhi at 5:40 am. Rokade said, 'We lost almost 12 hours due to poor planning and communication.'
Supriya Sule tweets about flight chaos
Baramati MP Supriya Sule, also on the flight, posted on X about the ordeal: 'Travelling from Delhi to Pune on Air India flight AI2971. The flight is delayed by over 3 hours, no clear communication, no update, no assistance and very bad service. Passengers are left stranded and helpless. This apathy is unacceptable. Travellers deserve better.'
Replying to her post, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said he had spoken to airline and airport authorities and asked them to urgently address the concerns of all affected passengers.
Inputs from TOI
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