Addressing the recent delays and cancellations of multiple Air India flights, MD and CEO Campbell Wilson acknowledged that the airline could have better managed this “unusual combination of events,” according to a Mint report.
“A lot of factors contributed to this – technical issues with the aircraft, problems with third-party ground handling units, airport air conditioning capabilities, high temperatures in Delhi, and some passengers’ reluctance to travel,” Wilson told Mint at the 80th annual general meeting of the International Air Transport Association. “There are lessons to be learned, whether it’s improving compensation or communication.”
On May 31, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a show-cause notice to Air India for significant delays in at least two international flights – AI 183 from Delhi to San Francisco on May 30 and AI 179 from Mumbai to San Francisco on May 24.
On June 2, an Air India flight from Delhi to Vancouver experienced nearly a 22-hour delay, prompting more than 50 passengers to protest inside the terminal.
Regarding the Delhi-San Francisco flight, Wilson explained that an auxiliary unit powering the plane’s air conditioning had failed. The backup jet starter unit couldn’t generate enough power to start the engines due to extreme heat in Delhi, where temperatures approached 50 degrees Celsius.
For the delayed Delhi-Vancouver flight, Wilson blamed state-run Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) for delivering an unfit aircraft. The flight was canceled after an inspection revealed the plane lacked a nozzle necessary for filling drinking water.
AIESL, a public sector undertaking, provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for Air India and other airlines. AIESL technicians had issued a strike notice for April 23, demanding the CEO address grievances such as lack of promotions for seven years, extended notice periods, delayed salary hikes, and exclusion of dearness allowance from salaries within 90 days, according to Hindustan Times.
According to The Hindu Business Line, agreements requiring Air India to rely on AIESL for maintenance are set to expire by the end of this year.
Over the next 18 months, Air India plans to start its in-house line maintenance and establish base maintenance facilities for both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft in Bengaluru in partnership with Singapore Airlines Engineering Company Ltd, as reported by Mint.
