Over 100 passengers of an Air India flight bound for New Delhi were stranded in Phuket, Thailand, for more than 80 hours due to repeated technical issues.
With the aircraft. Passengers shared their ordeal on social media, claiming inadequate support from the airline’s representatives during the prolonged delay. The flight, originally scheduled to depart on the night of November 16, was delayed by six hours following a technical fault, according to Air India.
However, the situation escalated after passengers were made to wait for hours at the airport, eventually boarding the aircraft, only to be deboarded an hour later when the flight was abruptly cancelled.
Air India has acknowledged the cancellation and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused. In a statement, the airline said,
“While our staff on the ground made an effort to minimise their inconvenience, providing all on-ground assistance including hotel accommodation and meals, some of the guests were also reaccommodated on alternatively available flights. Passengers were also offered options for full refunds on cancellation and complimentary rescheduling. At Air India, the safety and security of our passengers and crew is top priority,” Air India said in its response.
However, passengers have alleged otherwise. Social media posts describe a chaotic scenario where updates from airline representatives were sparse and unsatisfactory. Many passengers tagged Air India on X (formerly Twitter), sharing their plight and demanding answers but claim they received little to no meaningful response.
The situation worsened when passengers were informed that the same aircraft had been repaired and was ready to operate. The flight took off after a two-day delay, but roughly two-and-a-half hours into the journey, it returned to Phuket due to another technical fault. This left the passengers stranded once again.
In one social media post, a passenger described the ordeal as “mentally and physically exhausting,” while another alleged that the airline had failed to communicate a clear plan to resolve the issue.
Despite Air India’s assurances of accommodation, some passengers reported confusion and delays in being provided with hotels and meals.
This incident has raised questions about Air India’s operational readiness and crisis management, particularly given the recurring technical faults with the same aircraft. Passengers are calling for stricter accountability from the airline and immediate measures to prevent such incidents in the future.