NEW DELHI: A Goa-bound Air India (AI) flight was on Friday forced to return to Delhi after passengers protested failure of in-flight air conditioner after take off 35,000 feet above the ground.
"There was severe suffocation inside the aircraft, with the rear section being the worst off. Many passengers had trouble breathing and they shifted to the front rows to reduce their suffering," said a passenger.
The cabin crew tried to pacify the agitated passengers, but they demanded to see the commander.
Given the heated situation, the crew called the captain out of the cockpit to prevent things from going out of hand.
The flyers sternly told the commander to immediately turn the plane back to Delhi as they refused to fly all the way to Goa in the sweltering and suffocating aircraft.
The commander then flew back to Delhi and landed under emergency conditions in just over an hour after the plane had taken off.
READ ALSO: AI flight develops 'snag', makes unscheduled landing at Chennai
Security personnel were present at the aerobridge when the plane docked as the flyers were extremely agitated.
"AI 867 took off from Delhi on Friday morning with 168 passengers onboard. The AC of this plane had a snag and it returned to IGI Airport at 7 am,'' said an Air India spokesperson.
"Passengers did complain of some inconvenience during the flight. After returning to Delhi, they were served refreshments and sent to Goa at 9am on another aircraft."
READ ALSO: Air India cabin staffer molested by her male colleague
AC failures are among the most common problems AI's fleet of over 25-year-old Airbus A-320s has faced.
Friday's episode reportedly happened in the 1989 made A-320 VT-EPG, which is one of the oldest commercial planes flying in India.
The airline's pilot union has petitioned authorities to ask the airline not to fly old A-320s. But they have not decided so far on their plea.
AI has been trying to replace these old planes with new leased A320s in all-economy seating configuration for a while now.
READ ALSO: Air India plane grounded in Delhi as rats run riot
Several cases of AC failures on old and poorly-maintained aircraft have been reported this summer. Last month, a woman passenger fainted inside a taxing SpiceJet aircraft in Delhi before take off when the AC of this leased aircraft failed.
"There was severe suffocation inside the aircraft, with the rear section being the worst off. Many passengers had trouble breathing and they shifted to the front rows to reduce their suffering," said a passenger.
The cabin crew tried to pacify the agitated passengers, but they demanded to see the commander.
Given the heated situation, the crew called the captain out of the cockpit to prevent things from going out of hand.
The flyers sternly told the commander to immediately turn the plane back to Delhi as they refused to fly all the way to Goa in the sweltering and suffocating aircraft.
The commander then flew back to Delhi and landed under emergency conditions in just over an hour after the plane had taken off.
READ ALSO: AI flight develops 'snag', makes unscheduled landing at Chennai
Security personnel were present at the aerobridge when the plane docked as the flyers were extremely agitated.
"AI 867 took off from Delhi on Friday morning with 168 passengers onboard. The AC of this plane had a snag and it returned to IGI Airport at 7 am,'' said an Air India spokesperson.
"Passengers did complain of some inconvenience during the flight. After returning to Delhi, they were served refreshments and sent to Goa at 9am on another aircraft."
READ ALSO: Air India cabin staffer molested by her male colleague
AC failures are among the most common problems AI's fleet of over 25-year-old Airbus A-320s has faced.
Friday's episode reportedly happened in the 1989 made A-320 VT-EPG, which is one of the oldest commercial planes flying in India.
The airline's pilot union has petitioned authorities to ask the airline not to fly old A-320s. But they have not decided so far on their plea.
AI has been trying to replace these old planes with new leased A320s in all-economy seating configuration for a while now.
READ ALSO: Air India plane grounded in Delhi as rats run riot
Several cases of AC failures on old and poorly-maintained aircraft have been reported this summer. Last month, a woman passenger fainted inside a taxing SpiceJet aircraft in Delhi before take off when the AC of this leased aircraft failed.
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