’Flights are endlessly delayed’: NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule slams Air India, airline responds

Supriya Sule, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP, recently slammed Air India, claiming that all flights of the Tata group company are "endlessly delayed".

Alleging "constant mismanagement" by Air India, the NCP leader questioned the gap between the premium fares passengers pay and the subpar service they receive.

"Air India flights are endlessly delayed - this is unacceptable! We pay premium fares, yet flights are never on time. Professionals, children, and senior citizens - all affected by this constant mismanagement. Urging the Civil Aviation Minister to take action and hold Air India accountable," Supriya Sule posted on X.

Air India flight delayed by one hour

In a subsequent post, Supriya Sule claimed that her Air India flight AI0508 was delayed by one hour and 19 minutes, which she attributed to be a "part of a continuous trend of delays affecting passengers."

Air India responds to Supriya Sule

Taking note of Supriya Sule's post, Air India acknowledged the inconvenience caused but attributed the delay to "operational issues" beyond their control.

Air India wrote: “Dear Ma'am, we recognize that delays can be very frustrating. However, there are occasional operational issues outside of our control that can affect flight schedules. Your flight to Mumbai this evening was delayed by one hour due to such an issue. We appreciate your understanding.”

Shivraj Singh Chouhan slams Air India

Just last month, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan slammed Air India for allotting him a broken seat on a flight from Bhopal to Delhi.

Air India under the Tatas

In October 2021, the Tata Group won the bid for Air India and officially took control of the airline in January 2022.

While the takeover by the Tatas raised hopes for a revival of the struggling airline, one area where Air India has faced challenges is in aircraft revamp and induction. Despite announcing the induction of three B777s from Singapore Airlines, this has yet to materialise.