Pune-Bound Flyers Stranded for Hours at Delhi Airport; Minister Murlidhar Mohol Steps In

Pune/New Delhi, 26th July 2025: Over 200 passengers on board Air India Express flight IX 1015 from Delhi to Pune were left waiting in confusion late Thursday night after an unexpected delay and a lack of clear communication from the airline’s staff. What began as a routine delay escalated into growing frustration as boarding was abruptly halted without any explanation from airline officials.

According to passengers, they were left at the boarding gate for nearly three hours, with no announcements or updates. As tempers began to rise, one of the stranded travelers recorded a video of the situation and forwarded it along with a message on WhatsApp to Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, who hails from Pune.

In a swift intervention, Minister Mohol responded to the alert within four minutes, at 11:26 PM, despite being engaged in the ongoing Parliament session. His office immediately contacted senior officials including his Officer on Special Duty (OSD), protocol officer, and the Air India Express airport manager, who in turn reached out to the ground staff at the Delhi airport.

Following the outreach, boarding resumed shortly thereafter and the flight was finally cleared for takeoff, providing relief to the exhausted passengers.

“What stood out was the quick action from Minister Mohol. He didn’t delay even though it was late night. His office acted immediately,” said one of the passengers.

Among those impacted was Rahul Dambale, founder of the All India Airline Passenger Union, who confirmed that a formal representation will be submitted to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He said the petition would seek 50% compensation for passengers in cases of prolonged delays due to airline mismanagement.

“Airlines cannot be allowed to waste passengers’ time without consequences. Financial penalties must be introduced to push airlines towards better service standards,” Dambale said.

The incident has reignited conversations around airline accountability, passenger rights, and real-time communication. While the issue was resolved due to ministerial intervention, many travelers pointed out that basic services shouldn’t require such high-level escalation.

Passengers are now urging the Civil Aviation Ministry and DGCA to enforce tighter regulations, ensure timely updates during delays, and penalize carriers that fail to manage operations professionally.