In a troubling incident on January 26 (today), passengers aboard Air India Flight AI909, bound for Dubai, were subjected to a harrowing five-hour delay without functioning air conditioning.
The flight was originally scheduled to depart from Mumbai at 8:25 AM local time (IST) and was expected to arrive in Dubai at 10:15 AM local time (GST). However, due to technical issues with Air India 787-8 aircraft flight was delayed significantly. The flight took off from Mumbai at 5:10 PM IST and landed safely in Dubai at 6:29 PM GST, according to the data from FlightRadar24.
The flight was delayed by over five hours. As the temperature inside the cabin soared, many passengers began to feel suffocated, with some reportedly struggling to breathe due to the lack of air conditioning. Despite the growing distress, passengers claim that the airline’s crew did not offer any immediate relief. It wasn’t until passengers themselves insisted on deboarding that the crew opened the gates to allow people to disembark.
Social media posts shared by a passenger onboard expressed frustration with the situation, particularly emphasising the lack of accountability from the airline. The passenger noted, “Truly not the kind of experience we expected from an airline owned by one of the most accountable business houses,” a sentiment echoed by several others in response to the video that has since gone viral.
The incident raises concerns about the management of flight delays and passenger safety, particularly on a flight operated by a major national carrier like Air India. Passengers are calling for greater accountability and improved measures to ensure such an uncomfortable and unsafe experience is never repeated.
Air India has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident. However, the airline is likely to face mounting pressure to address the situation and reassure the public about its commitment to passenger welfare and safety.