KOCHI- Tata Group-owned Air India (AI) flight AI149, scheduled to depart from Kochi (COK) to London Gatwick (LGW) at 12:25 PM on Saturday, was canceled due to a technical malfunction.
The last-minute cancellation affected approximately 250 passengers, triggering protests at the airport.
Air India Kochi to London
FlightRadar24 data confirms that Air India canceled its September 7, 2024, flight from Kochi which was scheduled to depart at 12:25 PM and arrive at London at 6:25 PM local time. The airline has also not filled out the registration of the aircraft that was scheduled to fly on this route.
Air India currently operates 3x weekly flights between Kochi and London on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
Airline authorities confirmed the cancellation resulted from a detected technical snag. The absence of a spare aircraft exacerbated the situation, leaving passengers stranded.
Air India managed to reroute some passengers through Mumbai, connecting them to a flight bound for London Gatwick airport. However, this solution did not accommodate all affected travelers.
The remaining passengers received several options from the airline. These included a full refund, free accommodation until the next available London flight on Tuesday and coverage of last-mile travel expenses.
Despite these offers, a group of disgruntled passengers staged a protest at the Cochin International Airport, expressing their frustration with the sudden change in their travel plans.
Tata Sons, parent of Air India Group has recently reported that the company nearly halved its losses in FY24 with Air India reporting a loss of Rs 4,444 crore in FY24 compared with Rs 11,388 crore in FY23.
Well, this is now common for passengers traveling with Air India on long-haul routes to face such last-minute cancellations and delays.
Similar Delays and Cancellations
Last month, Air India canceled flight AI179 from Mumbai (BOM) to San Francisco (SFO), scheduled for August 26, 2024, and was delayed by nearly a day.
The flight, originally set to depart at 1:25 PM on Monday, took off at 11:30 AM IST on Tuesday, August 27. While August 27 flight earlier scheduled to operate with 777-200LR, registered as VT-AEE was canceled.
An Air India spokesperson attributed the delay to unspecified “operational reasons,” apologizing for the inconvenience caused to passengers. The airline initially provided vague responses to passenger inquiries before agreeing to arrange hotel accommodations for those affected.
Passengers expressed frustration over the lack of clear communication and the significant disruption to their travel plans.
Similarly in March 2024, Passengers aboard Air India flight AI186 from Vancouver (YVR) to Delhi (DEL) were left dismayed when their flight was abruptly canceled after they had already boarded and remained seated on the plane for over five hours.
Passengers reported that Air India did not adhere to the prescribed waiting time regulations and failed to offer suitable accommodation, impacting approximately 300 passengers.
Passengers voiced their discontent with the handling of the situation, criticizing Air India for the lack of communication and assistance during their ordeal.
What are your thoughts on mismanagement and technical issues with Air India aircraft? Let us know in the comment section.
Air India 787 Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Moscow, Russia
The post Air India Cancels Kochi to London Flight Minutes before Departure, Passengers Angry appeared first on Aviation A2Z.