Nearly 100 passengers of an Air India flight to Delhi were stranded in Phuket, Thailand, for more than 80 hours due to repeated “technical issues”.
Some of the frustrated travellers—who included children and elderly persons—voiced their grievances on social media, claiming insufficient communication and support from the airline.
The flight, originally scheduled for 16 November, was initially delayed by six hours due to a technical fault. Passengers reported being asked to board, only to be deboarded an hour later as the flight was cancelled. Despite assurances that the fault had been resolved, the aircraft was forced to return to Phuket two and a half hours after taking off due to another problem.
FlightRadar, a flight-tracking app, showed the aircraft making a brief journey before returning to Phuket.
Some of the passengers took to social media to express their exasperation and distress over the situation.
“Please look into this on urgent basis. We are stranded in Phuket,” a passenger wrote on X, tagging the Indian civil aviation ministry.
“Air India boarded us on a plane which was not entirely fit for flying. That’s a huge risk and potentially life threatening.”
@Ministry_CA @RamMNK @MoCA_GoI @DGCAIndia @AAI_Official
— Manny (@freeeknumber) November 17, 2024
Please look into this on urgent basis. We are stranded in Phuket. #AirIndia boarded us on a plane which wasnt entriely fit for flying. That's a huge risk and potentially life threating#flight_AI377 https://t.co/cbcP6raRVP
“Stuck in Phuket for 2 days, more than 48 hours,” another complained. “Please refund my money @airindia so I can make other travel arrangements.”
Air India expressed regret and blamed a “technical issue” for the repeated delays.
“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 reaccommodated on alternatively available flights,” the Indian airline said in a statement.
An unnamed airline source told NDTV that some 40 passengers remained in Phuket, while the rest had been put on alternative flights.
Another Air India flight, from Paris to Delhi, was diverted to Jaipur because of heavy smog in the capital. The pilots of the plane then allegedly refused to fly further because they had finished duty hours. The stranded passengers were taken to Delhi by bus.
The passengers lashed out at the airline for the “shameful and pathetic management”.
Shameful and pathetic management from @airindia today as flight #AI2022 from CDG-DEL diverted to JAI. Pax stranded at JAI asked to spend 5 hrs inside the aircraft and then to take a bus from JAI to DEL. My wife and two months old is suffering and I am helpless. @TataCompanies
— Vishal P (@vsp246) November 18, 2024
“Shameful and pathetic management from @airindia today as flight #AI2022 from CDG-DEL diverted to JAI. Pax stranded at JAI asked to spend 5 hrs inside the aircraft and then to take a bus from JAI to DEL. My wife and two months old is suffering and I am helpless," Vishal P posted on X.
The Independent has reached out to the airline for comment.
