150 Passengers Endure 4-Hour Delay Due To Non-Operational Air Conditioning System On Air India Flight From Pune To Delhi
150 Passengers Endure 4-Hour Delay Due To Non-Operational Air Conditioning System On Air India Flight From Pune To Delhi
Pune, November 22, 2024
Over 150 passengers on Air India flight AI-858 from Pune to Delhi faced a harrowing ordeal on Thursday as they were made to sit in an aircraft with non-functional air-conditioning for over an hour, followed by a prolonged delay of nearly four hours.
The flight, scheduled to depart Pune at 4:00 PM and land in Delhi by 6:20 PM, eventually took off at 7:45 PM and reached its destination around 10:00 PM.
Flyers Voice Frustrations
One of the passengers, detailed the sequence of events: “The flight was initially delayed by half an hour. By 4:30 PM, we were all inside the aircraft, but the take-off never happened. With no air-conditioning, the cabin became unbearably hot. After an hour of discomfort, the aircraft was moved to a bay for checks, but we were still made to stay inside.”
An auxiliary power unit was installed to restore the cooling system. While the air-conditioning eventually began working, passengers remained stranded on the aircraft as repairs to the AC panel continued.
“There was no proper communication from the airline. Refreshments were served very late, and by 7:30 PM, we were still on the aircraft,” Singh added.
Outrage on Social Media
Many frustrated flyers took to social media to share their experience.
Raghunandan SV wrote on X, “My colleague is stuck in AI-858 at Pune airport due to a mechanical issue. There is no AC inside the plane, and passengers are suffering. Air India must take necessary steps to regain its service quality.”
Another passenger, Ashutosh Gangal, also posted: “Criminal misconduct by Air India in boarding flight AI-858 with AC not working. No information provided. Only after passengers began suffocating was the aircraft brought back to the terminal for cooling.”
While Air India has not issued an official statement, sources confirmed that the delay occurred due to a technical issue during pushback.
The incident has sparked fresh concerns over Air India’s service quality and its handling of technical glitches. Passengers have demanded better communication and timely action in such situations.
