Air India flights from here to Chennai and Mumbai were delayed inordinately this week causing several problems for passengers. Flight number AI816 which was scheduled to fly on Monday at 11.45 P.M. to Chennai was delayed due to “technical problems.” The flight finally left on Wednesday at 9 A.M. Similarly, flight number AI810 to Mumbai which was scheduled to fly Tuesday at 3.30 P.M. was also delayed by 17 hours. However, passengers on this flight were accommodated in the AI816 flight going to Chennai. As has happened several times in the past, Air India officials announced the delay only after issuing the boarding passes to the passengers. The “technical faults” in the aircraft were rectified only after engineers were flown in from Mumbai. However, to their credit, the airline provided accommodation to stranded passengers in different hotels in Dammam. “This attitude of Air India needs to change because many expat Indians depend on this airline to reach home as the flights operate directly to several destinations in the southern Indian states like Kerala. It is high time Air India makes some serious changes in their attitude and service,” said Shaji, community welfare wing coordinator in the Eastern Province. Many of the passengers who were on a short vacation to India were more disturbed as they lost about two days of their very precious time. Women who were traveling with infants and toddlers had a harrowing time as they ran short of baby food and diapers.
