The DGCA notice is for two long delays within a week
— AI 179 (Mumbai-SFO) of May 24 and AI 183 (Delhi-SFO) of May 30.
These two flights “were inordinately delayed and passengers were put to discomfort due to insufficient cooling in the cabin. Further, repeated incidences of passengers being put to discomfort by Air India in violation of various DGCA provisions have come to notice…. AI has violated (rules) on ‘facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights’. Air India is time and again failing in taking due care of passengers and compliance of aforementioned (rules),” the DGCA notice says.
NEW DELHI:
“Air India is called upon to show cause as to why enforcement action shall not be initiated against the airline for the aforesaid violation. The reply should reach this office within three days from the date of issue of this notice, failing which, the matter would be processed ex-parte,” the DGCA notice adds.
AI 183 was to leave at 3.30 pm and the over 200 passenger had started arriving at T3 accordingly for the same from late Thursday morning. Their trauma started when a technical glitch was detected in the Boeing 777 (of state-owned AI days and not the relatively new ones leased under Tatas’ ownership for the airline) that was to operate the route. “After getting engineering nod, passenger boarding started at 7 pm. Then pilots suspected another glitch in the plane and engineering was called in. After a check, engineering decided the aircraft could not operate the flight and had to be grounded for checks,” said sources.
One of the passengers took to X (erstwhile Twitter) to highlight flyers’ plight. “Air India, please let mine and numerous other parents stranded at the boarding area go home! AI 183 is over 8 hours late. People were made to board the plane and sit without AC. Then deplaned and not allowed to enter the terminal because immigration was done,” Abhishek Sharma, a passenger, said on X from his handle @39abhishek at 10.44 pm on Thursday.
In another post at at 8.43 am Friday, he said: “AI took passengers to a hotel. Room was provided by 2 am (Friday). A new boarding pass was provided with departure time of 11am. Parents are back at the airport and it seems even this flight is cancelled. No one from AI is helping.”
While AI responded with the airline is trying to make the journey comfortable, he said: “Appreciate the response but please convert that into action. 10 hours should be enough time for your team to take act and make things comfortable for passengers,” while tagging DGCA, PMO and aviation ministry to “take note that these horror stories are a daily affair with AI.”
On its part, AI acknowledged the delay and the aviation ministry notice. “No body fainted inside the aircraft but they must have felt uneasy at the long wait in this torrid Delhi summer. AI offered them choice of full refund, free rescheduling and hotel stay,” AI sources add. The flight was rescheduled to leave at 11 am on Friday and then also it was delayed. The same is expected to leave at 3 pm on Friday. AI did not comment on the ministry’s show cause notice asking them to explain passenger sufferings.
This is not an isolated case. Last week passengers of a Mumbai -SFO had a similar experience. Frequent flyers wonder why there is so little improvement in the airline even almost 2.5 years after the founder Tata Group acquired it from the government.
“This is truly a daily affair. Second time in 7 days (delayed flight to SFO). AI179 Mumbai-SFO exact same thing. Someone needs to take action against this torture after paying lakhs,” Tweeted another person.