Over 100 Air India passengers stranded in Phuket for 80 hours due to flight delays

Over 100 passengers aboard Air India's flight AI377 from Phuket to New Delhi have been stranded in Thailand for nearly 80 hours due to a series of delays, cancellations, and technical faults. The passengers were initially scheduled to depart on November 16, but the flight encountered a series of unfortunate events, leaving them stuck at Phuket International Airport for an extended period.

The journey began with a six-hour delay announced by Air India officials, citing technical faults. The flight, originally set to depart on the evening of November 16, was then rescheduled for the following day. After hours of waiting at the airport, passengers were finally allowed to board the Airbus A320, only to be deboarded an hour later as the flight was suddenly canceled.

Frustration grew as the passengers were informed that the same aircraft would be used after the fault had been fixed. However, after just two-and-a-half hours of flying, the plane returned to Phuket, and the passengers were told that another technical issue had occurred. This time, the passengers, including elderly individuals and children, were left stranded without a clear resolution.

Air India later explained that the initial cancellation was due to crew members reaching their Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), and subsequently, the technical issue with the aircraft led to the flight returning to Phuket.

Despite the inconvenience, Air India made arrangements for accommodation and provided reimbursements to the stranded passengers. The airline also mentioned that most passengers were eventually flown back to India on alternate flights on November 17 and 18. However, the last batch of passengers was still scheduled to fly back to India on November 19.

Passengers took to social media to express their frustration over the lack of proper communication and the delays. Many complained about unsatisfactory responses from airline representatives and the lack of clarity regarding the flight status. Some even questioned the handling of the situation, given the extended delays and inconvenience.