Air India flight from Mumbai to San Francisco on tarmac for 5 hours

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Passengers aboard Air India flight AI179 (Mumbai-San Francisco), a B777 aircraft bound for San Francisco, faced an excruciating ordeal on Friday afternoon as they endured a six-hour delay in stifling cabin conditions. The flight, originally scheduled to depart at 2.25 PM, saw its boarding process commence at 3.30 pm after a delay. But due to an engine issue, the flight was on the tarmac till 9 PM, when the passengers were finally disembarked from the cabin. The flight took off on Saturday morning at 10.20 am.

"The prolonged delay and poor air conditioning in the cabin caused severe discomfort, with some senior citizen reportedly fainting due to the oppressive heat," said sources from a security agency who was present at the airport during the incident. Passengers, frustrated by the lack of adequate communication and amenities, have taken to social media to voice their grievances, demanding accountability and justice from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).

"AI-179 from Mumbai to San Francisco, scheduled to depart at 1600 hours yesterday (May 24th may), was delayed due to a technical issue arising just before departure. Giving top priority to safety issues, the aircraft was held back for engineering checks," said the airline. He continued, "Guests have been offered hotel accommodation, complimentary rescheduling and full refunds and served refreshments at the airport. The flight was rescheduled at 1030 hours today (May 25)."