Over 100 passengers on Air India’s New Delhi-bound flight were left stranded in Thailand’s Phuket for nearly 80 hours following several delays, which were reportedly caused due to technical faults, according to multiple posts shared by passengers on social media.
According to the stranded passengers, the Air India flight AI377 was set to take off for Delhi from Phuket International Airport on the night of November 16. However, the airline officials informed the passengers that the flight will have to be delayed for six hours due to a technical fault. The flight was then rescheduled to take off on November 17.
But the passengers were allegedly made to wait for hours at the airport and asked to board the plane, only to be deboarded again after an hour. The flight was later cancelled.
Following this, the airline prepped another flight. The passengers stated that they were informed that it was the same aircraft in which they were supposed to leave initially and that the technical snag had been fixed. This time, although the flight took off for New Delhi, it landed back at Phuket after two-and-a half hours. The passengers said they were told there was a technical fault in the aircraft.
Since then, the passengers, including children and elderly, have been stuck in Phuket. The airline, however, said that the flight was initially cancelled as the crew discovered Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) issues. Later, the Air India Airbus A320 faced technical issues as a result of which it landed back in Phuket.
The arrangements for passengers’ accommodation were made and they were also given reimbursement, News 18 reported.
Air India has responded to the incident expressing regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers. In a statement, it said that the November 16 flight was “cancelled due to a technical issue”. It stressed that the staff on the ground undertook all efforts to minimise the inconvenience faced by passengers, providing all on-ground assistance including hotel accommodations and meals, NDTV reported.
“While our staff on the ground made effort to minimise their inconvenience, providing all on-ground assistance including hotel accommodations and meals, some of the guests were also accommodated on alternatively available flights. Passengers were also offered options for full refunds on cancellation and complimentary rescheduling. At Air India, the safety and security of our passengers and crew is a top priority,” it added.
“Several passengers have been sent back. About 40 are still in Phuket, they would be sent back this evening,” NDTV quoted an airline source as saying.
However, social media posts suggest that passengers are not satisfied by the response from airline representatives.
“Flight AI-1377 returned to Phuket after flying 3 hours above Phuket. More than 150 passengers stranded. No satisfactory reply from airlines. 2 consecutive days same flight is cancelled,” a user named Shubham Maurya said on X, tagging the airline.
“Please look into this on urgent basis. We are stranded in Phuket. #AirIndia boarded us on a plane which wasn’t entirely fit for flying. That’s a huge risk and potentially life threating,” another user named Manny tweeted, urging intervention of Ministry of Civil Aviation and Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu.
Air India responded to this social media user’s post and apologised to him for the delay. “We understand your disappointment and sincerely apologize for the disruption caused. Various factors can impact our flight schedule. However, your feedback will be shared internally for review. We hope for your kind understanding on the matter,” the airline responded.
Hi, we understand your disappointment and sincerely apologize for the disruption caused. Various factors can impact our flight schedule. However, your feedback will be shared internally for review. We hope for your kind understanding on the matter.
— Air India (@airindia) November 18, 2024