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Journalism of Courage
Chaos broke out at Delhi airport recently after a long delay of an Air India flight to Mumbai, causing passengers to become angry. The situation escalated when a frustrated passenger slapped an airline staff member during the commotion.
A now-viral video captures the tension surrounding the flight, which was initially scheduled to depart at 11 pm but was delayed for over seven hours, finally taking off at 6.30 am. Throughout the night, passengers claimed they were left in the dark, with little to no communication from the airline about the reason for the delay.
Sharing the video on Instagram, a content creator, Garima Raonta, wrote, “There were kids crying, elderly passengers exhausted, and people who absolutely needed to be in Mumbai for critical work. What we got in return? A half-hearted apology and a juice box. Yes, a juice box. That’s what our time, stress, and health were worth to them.”
Several passengers reportedly approached and questioned the airline staff. In one particularly intense exchange, a passenger struck a crew member and pleaded, “Mere baap ki tabiyat kharab hai. Hamari problem samjho na (My father’s health is not good. Understand our problems).”
As the video continues, one of the passengers confronts a staff member who was allegedly giggling during the scuffle. “Hass mat samjha na (Don’t you dare laugh at our situation),” the passenger said.
According to Raonta, the airline began the boarding process but halted it midway. It was only after half the passengers had boarded that the airline announced a further delay, leaving the remaining passengers confused. She also alleged that the boarding gate was locked after the partial boarding was completed. Raonta further claimed that the primary reason for the delay was the absence of a pilot for the flight.
Watch here:
Several social media users slammed Air India over the incident. “What choice do Indians have in flying ? Air india and Indigo…..who cares about customer service when it’s a duopoly…..both are equally bad,” a user wrote. “One of the worst airline experiences I’ve ever had. I was stuck on an international flight for 6 hours inside the plane without any explanation,” another user commented.
“At least the air india gave a juice box. If it happens with IndiGo, it would not offer a water bottle,” a third user reacted.
Responding to the incident, Air India shared that a severe thunderstorm accompanied by gusty winds had impacted flight operations at Delhi Airport on the evening of April 11. Due to the adverse weather conditions, most incoming flights were unable to land and were diverted to nearby airports.
One such diverted flight was scheduled to operate from Delhi to Mumbai. However, as the aircraft and its operating crew could not land in Delhi on time, the delay brought the pilots under Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), making them ineligible to operate the flight in compliance with aviation safety regulations.
To minimise turnaround time, passengers for the Delhi–Mumbai flight had already begun boarding in anticipation of the crew’s arrival. Unfortunately, with the original pilots unable to proceed due to FDTL constraints, the flight was further delayed while a fresh crew was arranged.
During this time, passengers were deboarded and refreshments were provided. The flight eventually departed at 6.30 AM.
