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Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
'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. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Chuck Norris Begs Seniors: Avoid These 3 Foods Like The Plague Roundhouse Provisions Learn More Undo '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. Live Events 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
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Passengers of AI's 8-hour delayed Delhi-Pune flight sit 3 hours in stationary aircraft
Pune: Three hours in a stationary aircraft amid poor air-conditioning, followed by over an eight-hour delay. Close to 150 flyers booked on an Air India's Delhi-Pune flight (AI-2973) were hassled to the hilt on Monday night. These after Shivane's Amol Rokade spent almost Rs1 lakh for the tickets. His parents were booked in the business class. He and his sister had premium economy seats. Rokade said, "The flight was supposed to take off from Delhi at 8.50pm and land in Pune at 11.05pm on Monday. We were finally airborne in a different aircraft at 5.40am on Tuesday and reached the city at 7.45am." TOI contacted a spokesperson of Air India and sent a query about the flyers' ordeal through a WhatsApp message. An official reply was awaited till going to press. An official of the airline said the flight got delayed because of a technical reason. A source in the airline said hotel accommodation and alternative flights were offered to the passengers. Rokade said, "We were initially told that the flight was delayed by 20 minutes because the incoming plane from Mumbai was delayed. The boarding got over by 9.30pm. After taxiing for a while, the aircraft stopped. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What She Did Mid-Air Left Passengers Speechless medalmerit Learn More Undo It remained like that for around half-an-hour. Cabin crew said some checks were on." The flyer said, "After an hour, the pilot said there were some technical problems in the engine and a team of engineers would check these. The engineers took around 40-45 minutes to come. They said after 15 minutes the plane was ready for take-off, but it didn't move for another half-an-hour. We saw the ladder being attached to the aircraft door. Again the checks started. It was 12.30am by then." Rokade said, "There was no provision of any refreshments. The AC was being shut down frequently. Flyers lost cool and demanded they should be deboarded. After altercations, some passengers were made to exit the aircraft through the rear door. Finally, all passengers were deboarded from the aircraft at 12.45am." The Air India's staffers told the passengers that an alternative aircraft was being arranged and it would fly out at 2am. "We were told to rush to the terminal building in Delhi, but the coaches came after around half-an-hour. We returned to the airport, completed the check-in and security checks again, and proceeded to gate number 27B. The flight time displayed was 2am. But no aircraft came till 4am," Rokade said. After serving some refreshments, the airline's staffers told the passengers that the alternative aircraft needed some checks. The boarding time was revised to 4.30am and the boarding began at 4am. Rokade said, "When we were hoping that the plane would fly soon, some flyers said they won't travel on it citing safety concerns. The airline staffers had to let them go with their luggage. The whole process took an hour. The aircraft finally flew from Delhi at 5.40am. We lost about 12 hours dealing with the airline's mess. Sule tweets on AI plane delay Baramati MP Supriya Sule on Tuesday wrote on X that the Air India's flight she was travelling by was delayed by over three hours and flyers were stranded without any information. "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. Such delays and mismanagement are becoming a norm with Air India. Passengers are left stranded and helpless. This apathy is unacceptable. Travellers deserve better," she said. Replying to her, Union civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu wrote on X, "I have spoken to the airline and airport authorities. They have been urgently asked to address the concerns of all affected passengers."
Hindustan Times
22-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
HC rejects plea challenging accused's arrest in Sonya Tapkir murder case
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by one of the prime accused in the 2023 Sonya Tapkir murder case, challenging the legality of his arrest under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The court ruled that the accused's claim of illegal detention held no merit. Krushna alias Sonya Haribhau Tapkir, a 20-year-old dairy businessman, was shot dead in broad daylight in Pimpri-Chinchwad. The assailants fired at him from close range and fled the scene on a motorcycle. (SEE BOX) The murder allegedly stemmed from rivalry and resentment over Tapkir's growing influence in the Chikhali area. The main accused, Karan Ratan Rokade, 27, reportedly viewed Tapkir's popularity as a threat to his local dominance. Rokade was arrested on July 2, 2023, near the Nepal border by a special police squad that had tracked the IP address of his WhatsApp call. He was brought to Pimpri-Chinchwad and produced before a judicial magistrate. The stringent provisions of MCOCA were applied on July 5, and his arrest was officially recorded on July 7. In his petition, Rokade contended that he had not been produced before the nearest magistrate within 24 hours of his arrest, which he claimed violated his constitutional rights under Articles 21 and 22(1). However, a division bench comprising Justices Sarang Kotwal and SM Modak upheld the remand order and dismissed the plea. The court noted that although the delay technically breached constitutional safeguards, Rokade and his legal team failed to raise any objection between his arrest and the filing of the petition on November 26, 2024. 'There is no justification as to why this issue was never raised for a considerable period,' the bench observed. Additional Public Prosecutor SV Gavand argued that the arresting team was not part of the investigating unit and lacked the case papers necessary to present Rokade before the magistrate immediately. The court also took into account Rokade's alleged role as the leader of an organised crime syndicate. Police records show 21 serious offences linked to the syndicate between 2015 and 2023, including nine registered against Rokade. His co-accused, Rutik Rokade (alias Mungya) and Rinku Kumar, are also facing multiple grave charges. Given the seriousness of the allegations and the petitioner's criminal history, the bench found no reason to intervene and dismissed the appeal.
