- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Mon, 27 Jan 2025 12:37 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Passengers at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport caused chaos after being left stranded on board an Air India flight for over five hours. Air India flight AI 909, which was scheduled to depart from Mumbai to Dubai at 8:25 PM on January 26, experienced a five-hour delay before reaching its destination. Passengers were reportedly stuck on the plane for the entire duration, leading to significant unrest.
A distraught passenger shared a video on Instagram, which has amassed over 23 million views. In the video, passengers can be seen causing a disturbance by banging on the overhead compartments and demanding updates from the crew. Some passengers are heard asking to be allowed off the aircraft, with one saying, “Open the door.”
In response, the pilot can be heard explaining, “The airplane jack needs to be connected, please understand.”
READ MORE: Indians Can Now Work Remotely From New Zealand For A Year; Check New Visa Rules
WATCH:
View this post on Instagram
The Instagram user narrated his ordeal through the video saying, “What a horrible experience for all the passengers flying with @airindia to dubai on flight AI909. The flight that was supposed to take off at 8:25 AM was delayed for 5 hours with passengers (including toddlers and senior citizens) on board without the air condition system working. Passengers started feeling suffocated and yet the crew did not provide any relief until passengers forced them to open the gates and deboard. Truly not the kind of experience we expected from an airline owned by one of the most accountable business houses @tata_trusts. The captain not once came out of the cockpit to address the passengers to assuage the situation but only waited inside until passengers lost their calm after 5 hours waiting patiently. High time the aviation ministry starts to handle such incidents with strictest of actions. Why should the passengers always be on the receiving end?”
Netizens expressed their ire over the incident . One user commented, “I really miss Vistara. For Tata to revive Air India, it will first have to change processes not airplanes and train the staff better. Such laid back unprofessional attitude. Sad.’’ Another said, "All passengers should come together and file a case against the Airlines and Aviation Ministry.” Amid the intensified protest, passengers were deboarded from the flight at around 1 PM.