Air India Scrutinized After Delaying Two Separate Long-Haul Flights To San Francisco For Multiple Hours

On two separate flights to San Francisco, Air India has faced technical issues followed by extensive delays, much to the dismay of unhappy passengers waiting to take the long-haul flights to the US.

According to news agency PTI, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DCGA) has issued a show-cause notice to Air India for the two delayed flights since the passengers’ social media uproar. The notice outlines the passengers’ discomfort and the airline’s violation of operational norms.

Simple Flying has contacted Air India to comment on the situation and the details behind both delays. The airline has not responded yet.

Air India Flight 179

On the 24th of May, Air India Flight 179, which offers non-stop service from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), faced an inordinate delay due to multiple reasons, including a technical glitch. However, details regarding the complications are scarce.

In a statement, an airline spokesperson said:

AI-179 from Mumbai to San Francisco, scheduled to depart at 1600 hrs today, was delayed due to a technical issue arising just before departure. Giving top priority to safety issues, the aircraft was held back for engineering checks.”

The flight was meant to depart from BOM at 1600 on May 24th but the aircraft only pushed back at 1917 local time. The airline said that some passengers chose to discontinue the flight, which resulted in further delays as their baggage had to be unloaded.

However, delays continued when the aircraft had to return to the gate after a passenger felt unwell. Due to the delays, the aircraft would’ve landed at SFO after night landing restrictions were in force. In addition, the crew duty limitation prevented them from completing the flight.

The flight was subsequently canceled and rescheduled for 1030 on 25th May. The airline said passengers were given hotel accommodation, complimentary rescheduling, and full refunds. However, the flight was further delayed and only departed BOM around 1730.

Air India Flight 183

On Thursday, another Air India flight, 183, which flies from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) to SFO, was delayed for over 30 hours.

The airline operates the flight on a Boeing 777, which was delayed on Thursday due to a technical issue. Shilpa Jain, a passenger on the flight, told the media that the replacement aircraft did not have working air conditioning.

Over 200 passengers, which included the elderly and children, were extremely uncomfortable with some fainting during the hour they were onboard the aircraft. Once passengers disembarked, they had to wait in the jetway for nearly an hour before the gates were opened to enter the airport.

Photo: Sundry Photography | Shutterstock

After the ordeal, the flight was canceled and rescheduled for 11:00 the next morning. Air India officials claimed the passengers were offered a full refund, complimentary rescheduling, and hotel accommodations. However, Jain alleged that the airline didn’t offer an option to reschedule or cancel the bookings.

The next morning, the flight was delayed again. The reasons weren’t provided, but passengers were told the flight would depart at 15:00. After pushing back at only 17:45, the aircraft returned to the gate due to cargo issues. After offloading cargo, the aircraft took off at 21:55.

Too little, too late

The airline has since apologized for the delay of flight 183 and offered each passenger a $350 voucher.

Photo: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock

Air India Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Klaus Goersch said in a letter to the flight’s passengers:

“Please allow me to sincerely apologize, on behalf of Air India, for the extended delay in bringing you to San Francisco, which was caused by several technical delays and other operational constraints. We are very sorry for this lapse in our service and the inconvenience caused to you.”

The voucher can also be credited for cash instead of being used for travel.

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