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Dubai: Passengers allege 'horrific' ordeal on Air India Express flight; airline responds
In a statement, the airline denied a technical snag and clarified the delay was due to "ATC congestion following the closure of certain airspaces"
Passengers onboard an Air India Express flight from Dubai to Jaipur have alleged they were stranded inside a grounded aircraft without air-conditioning, food, or water, triggering outrage on social media and renewed questions over passenger handling during flight delays.
Flight IX-196, scheduled to depart from Dubai at 7.25pm on June 13, was delayed due to what the airline described as “ATC congestion following the closure of certain airspaces.” Passengers claim they were kept inside the aircraft for hours under increasingly uncomfortable conditions.
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A video shared by dietician and social media influencer Arzoo Sethi, now viral, shows visibly distressed passengers fanning themselves with safety cards and struggling with the heat inside the cabin. Sethi claims she recorded the video past midnight.
“I’m really shocked to see this irresponsible behaviour,” she is seen saying in the video. “We’ve been calling the crew repeatedly, but no one shows up. The AC isn’t working. My three-year-old son is soaked in sweat. Not a single attendant has come to help us."
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She adds, “If the aircraft had a technical fault, they could’ve let us wait in the terminal. But they chose to lock us inside like this.” She describes the experience as “horrific”, calling it a “serious safety lapse”.
Another passenger says, “There’s suffocation. The air-conditioning isn’t working. We keep pressing the call button, but no one comes. It feels like torture. No one even gives us food or water.”
The flight eventually departed at 12.44am and landed in Jaipur at 2.44am on June 14.
Airline responds
In its official response, Air India Express denied that passengers were kept onboard for five hours, stating that boarding began at 10.44pm and the aircraft was off-chocks (wheel blocks) at 12.09am, meaning guests were on board for approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes.
The airline added that passengers had been notified of the rescheduled departure time well in advance via WhatsApp and email, allowing them to plan their airport arrival accordingly. Food and refreshments were provided during their wait at the terminal, it said.
Regarding cabin discomfort, the airline maintained that the air-conditioning system was functioning normally. However, it acknowledged that when aircraft doors remain open on the ground in hot climates like Dubai, the cooling effect may not feel optimal. “These are circumstances not uncommon during ground delays,” a spokesperson said.
They added that the cabin crew, as per standard procedure, secured the cabin for departure and attended to guest requests once the flight was airborne.
“We regret the inconvenience caused due to factors beyond our control and sincerely appreciate the understanding of our guests,” the airline said.
Clarification: This report has been updated to include a detailed statement from the airline shared with Khaleej Times.
Mazhar Farooqui
Mazhar Farooqui, or Maz, is a multiple award-winning investigative journalist and Senior Editor at Khaleej Times. Renowned for exposing corruption and uncovering major scams, he is also the author of The Maz Files: Scoops, Scams & Showdowns.
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