The San Francisco-bound Air India flight AI 183, which was supposed to take off from Delhi airport at 11 am today, has been canceled after a delay of over 16 hours and has been now replaced with another flight. Air India flight, AI 1183 bound to San Francisco is now scheduled to take off at 3 pm.
As per Air India sources, rescheduling and refund option has also been given to the passengers. The flight was delayed due to the operational reasons and by the time the issue was resolved, flight duty time limitations kicked in, the sources told NDTV.
A passenger of Air India's AI 183, while explaining her misery, said that an elderly lady fainted on the plane due to the extreme heat.
"We were made to board the plane after 8 pm, and the AC inside was not working. An elderly lady on the plane fainted due to the heat and was taken to a hospital," the passenger said.
"Later, we were told to leave for the hotel, and the flight was rescheduled for 11 am today, but no update was given to us," Suman Arora, a passenger of the flight, said.
The matter came to light after a passenger on Thursday alleged that some people fainted inside the aircraft, which had no air-conditioning, after a delay of over eight hours.
Shweta Punj, a journalist, in a post on X, said flight No. AI 183 was delayed by over eight hours, and "people were made to board the plane and sit without air-conditioning" at Delhi airport.
If there is a privatisation story that has failed it is @airindia@DGCAIndia AI 183 flight has been delayed for over 8 hours , passengers were made to board the plane without air conditioning, and then deplaned after some people fainted in the flight.This is inhuman! @JM_Scindiapic.twitter.com/86KpaOAbgb
— Shweta Punj (@shwwetapunj) May 30, 2024
Air India's X handle responded to her, saying their "team is actively working to address the delay."
Dear Ms. Punj, we truly regret to note the disruptions. Please be rest assured that our team is actively working to address the delay and appreciate your ongoing support and understanding. We are also alerting our team to provide necessary assistance to the passengers.
— Air India (@airindia) May 30, 2024
Images posted by many other passengers on social media showed people, including children and the elderly, sitting on the floor, with some even taking off their shoes. They appeared exhausted.
Delhi is experiencing a severe heatwave. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that 41 places recorded temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius in the country on Thursday.
In January, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued guidelines to handle chaotic situations after a huge rush was seen due to fog at Delhi airport. The DGCA, in the standard operating procedure (SOP) for "facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights, and delays in flights," said that airlines may cancel flights that are likely to be delayed or "consequentially delayed" beyond three hours. The DGCA had said all airlines must follow the SOP immediately.