Air India passengers stranded for 8 hours inside plane due to adverse weather

New Delhi: Passengers aboard two Air India (AI) flights experienced over eight hours and another two and a half hours of delay due to adverse weather conditions at Delhi airport. Air India Flight AI 185 from Delhi to Vancouver was grounded in Delhi after 8 hours, as the weather at the Delhi airport was unsuitable for takeoff. The Air India flight was on schedule to depart from Delhi to Vancouver but the weather forced the cancellation. "Flight was ready for takeoff at 5:15 in the morning and all the passengers were boarded but due to low visibility, the flight was cancelled after eight hours of waiting," an Air India official told ANI.
Several passengers raised concerns about not being allowed to deboard and wait inside the terminal. The airline later clarified and said, "The decision was based on the time-consuming process of rechecking and security clearance post-de-boarding, leading them to opt for passengers to wait inside the plane." The cancellation of the flight was also attributed to Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) restrictions affecting the crew members. Subsequently, the affected flight was cancelled, prompting Air India to provide accommodation options for all passengers.
The rescheduled departure is set for tonight at approximately 11:15 pm. In another instance, an Air India flight from Frankfurt to Delhi (AI-120) landed at the airport at around 7:48 am and as the parking space at the airport was full, the captain of the aircraft struggled for about two and a half hours to park the aircraft in the parking space. "Adverse weather conditions resulted in a hold on all flights, leading to a full parking situation at the airport," an airport official said. The capital is currently experiencing severe cold coupled with dense fog, leading to delays and cancellations of both domestic and international flights, affecting departure and arrival schedules.