Over 200 passengers on a Singapore-bound Air India flight from Delhi faced major inconvenience on Wednesday night after being asked to deboard nearly two hours after boarding the aircraft. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI2380, was scheduled to take off around 11 pm. However, once passengers were seated, a technical fault in the air conditioning system forced the airline to halt the journey.
According to reports, crew members eventually directed passengers to leave the plane without giving a clear explanation. They were escorted back to the airport terminal, leaving many frustrated. Videos from the incident quickly surfaced on social media, showing passengers fanning themselves with newspapers and in-flight magazines to cope with the stifling conditions inside the aircraft.
The airline has yet to issue an official statement regarding the delay. The incident has drawn attention not only because of the discomfort caused to passengers but also because it comes just months after similar controversies involving Air India flights.
In May, passengers on an Air India Express flight from Delhi to Bhubaneswar alleged that the aircraft’s air conditioning failed mid-air. Earlier in March, travelers on a Jaipur–Dubai Air India Express flight had also complained of being trapped for nearly five hours without cooling. While the airline at that time claimed that the systems were working normally, passengers had strongly contested the statement, with video evidence circulating widely online.
Wednesday night’s disruption has once again raised questions about the maintenance and reliability of Air India’s fleet, especially after repeated complaints about air conditioning failures.
