Bhubaneswar: A scheduled Air India Express flight from Bhubaneswar to Pune was cancelled on Thursday evening following a lengthy delay reportedly caused by a technical malfunction, leaving passengers frustrated.
According to sources, the flight, originally set to depart at 5:40 pm from Biju Patnaik International Airport, encountered issues with its air conditioning system shortly after passengers boarded. Sources indicated that the AC failure prompted the initial delay, forcing the airline to ask passengers to deboard. They were then required to undergo security checks again before re-boarding.
After nearly two hours of waiting, the airline announced that the flight had been cancelled, triggering heated exchanges between agitated passengers and ground staff at the airport. Many complained about poor communication and inadequate handling of the situation.
“We were not informed about the flight cancellation. After boarding, we were told that the flight was delayed due to technical issues. Later, we were asked to deboard as the AC was not working. We went through security checks before boarding the flight again. However, after waiting for nearly two hours, the flight was first delayed and then cancelled,” said passenger Laxmi Narayan Patra, describing the ordeal.
He added that around 50 passengers were accommodated in a connecting flight to Mumbai and asked to manage their onward journey to Pune.
Sources further stated that more than 15 others were provided hotel accommodation for the night with some passengers expected to fly directly to Pune on a rescheduled service on Friday evening.
Similar technical issues, particularly AC malfunctions on Air India Express flights, have drawn attention in the past, including cases where passengers faced extreme discomfort due to cabin heat. In May last year, Tusharkant Rout shared photos and his harrowing experience on LinkedIn, claiming the AC malfunctioned for nearly two hours on an Air India Express flight from Delhi to Bhubaneswar.
