Mumbai: Air India Flight To Dubai Delayed By Over Four Hours, 250 Passengers Stranded At CSMI Airport

Mumbai:Around 250 passengers travelling to Dubai were stranded at the Mumbai Airport as Air India flight got delayed by more than eight hours. Passengers reported that the airline claimed of a technical snag but ultimately asked the passengers to deboard and wait at transit lounge until further announcement.

Air India flight AI 909 scheduled to depart at 8.25am from Mumbai Airport was delayed by more than eight hours leaving the passengers stranded at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. While the flight was supposed to reach Dubai at 12.45pm, passengers were asked to deboard the airplane at 12pm and asked to wait at the transit lounge for two hours.

According to the details received from passengers, boarding had started for the flight at 7.30am. However, it was paused for some time claiming a small snag which resulted in a delay of one hour. Passengers were finally boarded by 9.30am but there was no announcement inside the airplane until 11.15am when the airline announced that the software would be updated in 15 mins.

Passengers alleged that the airline absurdly asked the passengers to deboard the flight without giving any reason. Passengers were made to sit at the transit lounge and were provided with food by the airline. However the flight ultimately departed at 4.45pm and was expected to reach Dubai at 6.35pm but instead reached at 8.10pm, delaying the landing by 1 hour 35 minutes.

Multiple passengers had connecting flights to other European countries from Dubai which were also missed due to the delay in Air India flight. The passengers also complained about the temperature inside the airplane alleging that the air condition was not working.

hweta Powar, one of the passengers on the flight, told The Free Press Journal that, “There were kids and elderly people on the flight. Many started feeling nauseous and suffocated as they were packed inside a grounded plane for more than three hours. Nobody from Air India was available to answer our doubts and we were left stranded. The airline needs to sense the responsibility towards their passengers.”

The Free Press Journal contacted Air India to know the reason of delay but did not receive any reply from the airline.