Pune-Chandigarh Flight Delayed By 10 Hours, Passengers Left Stranded
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A scheduled 2.5-hour journey turned into a grueling 10-hour ordeal for 150 passengers on board an IndiGo Pune-Chandigarh flight on Friday. The flight, which was supposed to take off at 3:40 am, was delayed by an hour, and subsequent events led to a prolonged and uncomfortable experience for the travelers. According to passenger Akshdeep Aggarwal, the boarding process was completed on time, but the aircraft failed to take off as scheduled.
The flight finally departed Pune at 4:40 am, only to face another hurdle as it approached Chandigarh. Poor visibility due to bad weather forced the pilot to divert the flight to Jaipur, where it landed around 8:20 am. Aggarwal described the experience as “torture” as passengers were left sitting in the plane without clear information about the flight’s status. Despite requests, passengers were not allowed to disembark and proceed to the terminal building, where they could have been more comfortable.
The situation worsened as passengers lost patience and started questioning the crew. Some even began to lose their cool, prompting the airline to serve refreshments. However, the lack of clear communication and updates continued to frustrate the travelers. The airline eventually cited the crew’s duty hours as the reason for the delay, stating that a fresh crew would take over. The new crew arrived after an hour, further prolonging the wait.
The aircraft finally took off from Jaipur at 12:30 pm and landed in Chandigarh around 1:15 pm. Aggarwal expressed disappointment at the airline’s handling of the situation, stating that allowing passengers to move to the terminal building would have made the experience more bearable. Pune airport sources attributed the delay to foggy conditions in northern India, which can impact flight schedules during this time of year.
The incident raises concerns about the airline’s communication and passenger handling during unexpected delays. Passengers expect timely and accurate information, especially when faced with prolonged delays. In this case, the lack of clear communication and updates exacerbated the situation, leading to frustration and discomfort among travelers.
