India cricketer Mohammed Siraj shared his disappointment with Air India Express and called his travel experience the “worst”. He added he would strongly advise others against booking with the airline after his Guwahati-Hyderabad flight faced a long delay without any communication from authorities, thereby leaving passengers stranded. 

‘Won’t advise anyone to…,’

Taking to social media, he explained that his flight was supposed to take off at 7:25 pm but never took off on time. 

“Air India flight no IX 2884 from Guwahati to Hyderabad was supposed to take off at 7.25. However, there has been no communication from the airline, and after repeatedly following up, they have just delayed the flight with no proper reasoning,” read a part of Siraj’s now-viral post on X (formerly Twitter). 

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He added that the basic communication was the least that passengers expect in such situations. “This has been really frustrating, and this is the basic ask by every passenger. Flight delayed by 4 hours and still no update has left us stranded.”

Towards the end of his post, he tagged the airline and said that he wouldn’t recommend Air India Express to anyone. “Worst airline experience. I really would not advise anyone to take this flight if they can’t take a stand.”

According to several flight tracking websites, the flight from Guwahati to Hyderabad was cancelled due to operational reasons.

Air India Express apologises

The airline responded to his post a few hours ago, issuing an apology for the inconvenience caused. “We regret to inform you that the flight has been cancelled due to unforeseen operational reasons. Our team at the airport is actively assisting all guests with the necessary arrangements,” Air India Express added. 

It further said, “We understand how difficult this situation is, and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding. Please be assured that our team will continue to keep you updated and extend all possible support.”

‘Communication is bare minimum,’ says Internet

Social media users, as expected, went to the comments section of Siraj’s post, which has received over 1.1 million views, to share their thoughts. “Air India Express seems to have introduced a new ‘Mystery Class’ where the departure time is a surprise and the communication is invisible. ​Jokes aside, technical issues happen, but ghosting passengers for 4 hours is a management choice. Basic transparency isn’t a luxury add-on; it’s a necessity. Do better.”

Another added, “Airlines don’t control every delay, but communication is the one thing fully in their control. Four hours of silence isn’t a delay issue, it’s a customer-respect issue.”

“At this point, Air India should at least announce which day the flight is taking off. Hours don’t mean anything anymore,” read a third sarcasm-dipped comment. 

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A fourth posted, “If this is how they treat a top athlete… imagine the condition of common passengers. Communication is the bare minimum. Air India.”

IND vs SA Test

Siraj is heading back to Hyderabad from Assam after India suffered a 408-run defeat to South Africa at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium and lost the two-match series 0-2. This marks India’s second consecutive clean sweep at home, following their 0-3 loss to New Zealand last year.

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The defeat in Guwahati also goes down as India’s biggest loss by runs in Test cricket, while giving South Africa their most dominant victory over India in the format. India lost the first Test by 30 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

In the second match, Siraj picked up 2 wickets for 106 runs in the first innings, but didn’t clinch any wickets in the second, giving 19 runs in five overs.

India will next play against  South Africa in a three-match ODI series from November 30.