Delhi-Pune Flight Delayed by Over 10 Hours, Passengers Left Waiting in Plane for 7 Hours

Pune, 5th January 2025: Passengers of an Air India Express flight from Delhi to Pune endured a harrowing travel experience as their journey was delayed by more than 10 hours, with nearly seven-and-a-half hours spent sitting inside the aircraft before being deboarded. The flight, originally scheduled to depart at 9:40 p.m. on Friday, finally took off at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, reaching Pune around 10 a.m.

The ordeal began with a slight delay, but frustration quickly grew as passengers were kept onboard the stationary aircraft for hours. Ambadas Gawande, a Pune resident traveling with his family, recounted the chaotic experience. “We boarded the plane by 10 p.m., but after an hour, it was clear something was wrong. The crew cited poor visibility due to fog as the reason for the delay. However, as time passed, passengers—many of whom were senior citizens—became increasingly agitated,” he said.

Gawande noted that while passengers understood the weather issue, they were baffled by the airline’s decision to keep them confined inside the plane for so long. “Many requested to return to the terminal for more comfortable seating, but this was not allowed. We sat there for over seven hours with little communication. Finally, at 5:30 a.m., we were asked to deboard, this time citing a technical problem with the aircraft,” he added.

After disembarking, passengers were shuttled around in buses before being dropped at the terminal building. “We were told to go through the security check again, which took another two hours. Ironically, we boarded the same plane for the delayed flight,” Gawande said.

The delay was compounded by dense fog and low visibility, which disrupted flight operations at multiple airports, including Delhi and Pune. Over 32 flights in and out of Pune were delayed between midnight and noon on Saturday.

Meanwhile, passengers at Pune airport also faced discomfort due to the disruptions. Hashim Ansari, who was at the airport early Saturday morning, expressed his frustration on social media platform X: “No proper facilities to sit and rest. People are seated on carpets.”

Air India Express has not issued a formal statement on the incident, but passengers continue to demand better communication and facilities during such delays.