Passengers of the Kochi-bound Air India Xpress flight speaking to ground staff after the flight delay
Pune: Nearly 100 passengers were left stranded at Pune airport in the early hours of Tuesday after their Air India Express flight to Kochi was delayed by more than five hours. Flight IX-2739, scheduled to depart from Pune at 1.30am, eventually took off around 6am. “We finally boarded the plane around 5.30am, and the flight departed around 6am. Instead of 3.30am, we reached Kochi around 7.30am,” he said.
Because of the low temperature inside the terminal and were given tea only after repeated requests, pathak said his parents were uncomfortable. Because of the delay, Pathak said, several passengers cancelled their tickets. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Pune | Silver Rate in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Petrol Price in Pune | Diesel Price in Pune | CNG Price in Pune | LPG Price in Pune Stay updated with the latest Pune news.
They appeared casual and were laughing while passengers were getting increasingly frustrated,” he said. Passengers were initially told that the flight would be delayed by an hour. “Only after repeated requests were we given a sandwich and water,” he said. Pathak said some passengers recorded the interaction.
Passengers alleged poor communication and misbehaviour by ground staff. TOI sent a detailed query to an Air India Express spokesperson via WhatsApp, seeking the reason for the delay and a response to the allegations against the ground staff. A response was awaited at the time of going to press. The delay was subsequently extended to two hours and then three hours. With no clarity on the departure time, passengers also sought refreshments. Tension eventually escalated, with an altercation breaking out between passengers and a ground staff member. Ground staff objected to the passengers recording videos, citing that Pune airport is an Indian Air Force station. They also alerted the CISF , but passengers clarified that they were not filming the airside area. Others continued their journey as last-minute airfares were exorbitant. Pathak also filed a complaint through the AirSewa portal. Download the TOI App.
Abhinav Pathak, a Wakad resident who was travelling to Kochi with his elderly parents, said they reached the airport around 10.30pm. Because of the conduct of the ground staff, pathak alleged that the situation worsened.
There was no information about the delay before we arrived at the airport,” he said. “Passengers repeatedly asked about the reason for the delay, but the staff simply would not tell us anything.
“A day earlier, we received a notification that the flight might be delayed. We received another notification on Tuesday saying the flight was on time.