'If there's a privatisation story that has failed, it is...' Air India flight delayed by over 20 hrs, people faint

An Air India flight from Delhi to San Francisco was delayed over 20 hours on Thursday, causing passengers to faint as they waited inside the aircraft without air conditioning. 

Passengers took to X to share visuals of the ordeal, showing people waiting in the aircraft's aisle.

The flight, AI 183, was delayed due to "operational issues".   The flight was supposed to take off yesterday afternoon, will depart today after over 20 hour delay. 

A journalist in a post in X tagged Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, calling the situation "inhuman."

"If there is a privatization story that has failed, it is Air India. The DGCA AI 183 flight has been delayed for over eight hours. Passengers were made to board the plane without air conditioning and then deplaned after some people fainted. This is inhuman," the journalist tweeted. In response,

Air India expressed regret and assured "necessary assistance to the passengers," stating that their team is actively addressing the delay.

According to airline sources, the passengers were offered full refunds and hotel stays.

This is not the first time that prolonged delays have marred Air India flights, enraging passengers. Earlier this month, on an Air India flight from Mumbai to San Francisco, people had to sit inside the passenger cabin for around six hours with poor air conditioning.

The latest incident came amid a scorching heatwave in Delhi and the rest of North India, with mercury levels soaring up to record levels.