Air India, the national carrier, has been issued a show cause notice by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the inordinate delay of at least two international flights and the failure to take due care of passengers. The notice was issued on Friday after an Air India flight from Delhi to San Francisco was delayed by over 24 hours, causing significant inconvenience to passengers. This incident led to passengers being made to board the flight without air conditioning, resulting in some passengers fainting due to the heat inside the cabin. The DGCA highlighted the delay of two international flights – AI 183 from Delhi to San Francisco on May 30 and AI 179 from Mumbai to San Francisco on May 24 in the notice.
The regulator emphasized that passengers were put in discomfort due to insufficient cooling in the cabin, which is a serious violation of aviation norms. This is not the first time incidents of passenger discomfort have been reported in relation to Air India, as highlighted in the notice. The repeated instances of passengers being subjected to discomfort by the airline have drawn the attention of the regulator towards Air India’s lack of compliance with provisions related to facilities to be provided to passengers in cases of denied boarding, flight cancellations, and flight delays.
Several passengers who experienced the ordeal expressed their frustration and termed the experience as ‘inhuman’. One passenger, Prakash Mohan Tripathi, recounted how passengers were made to endure the extreme heat inside the aircraft, leading to some fainting and children crying due to the discomfort. Despite being sent to a hotel and then back to the airport multiple times, the passengers were still waiting for the flight to take off, causing further distress.
Relatives of the affected passengers also took to social media to express their anger and disappointment at the situation. One individual, Parush Garg, shared his parents’ harrowing experience on social media, criticizing the airline for the significant delay and lack of proper facilities for passengers, especially senior citizens.
The show cause notice issued to Air India by the DGCA serves as a stern warning for the airline to adhere to aviation norms and prioritize passenger comfort and safety. Air India has been called upon to explain why enforcement action should not be initiated against the airline for the violations highlighted by the regulator. The incident highlights the importance of airlines ensuring the well-being and comfort of passengers, especially during travel delays.
