A Mumbai to San Francisco Air India flight faced an extensive delay of approximately 18 hours on Friday due to a technical glitch and a passenger falling ill. Scheduled to depart from Mumbai International Airport at 4pm, flight AI-179 encountered an initial delay of over three hours when the crew identified a technical issue. Although rescheduled for 7:17pm, further delays ensued when a passenger became unwell, prompting some others to deboard. The flight was ultimately halted due to night landing restrictions at San Francisco airport and crew duty limitations.
An Air India spokesperson stated, “AI-179 from Mumbai to San Francisco… was delayed due to a technical issue… The aircraft was held back for engineering checks… Meanwhile, a few guests decided to discontinue the journey, and the flight got further delayed as their baggage had to be offloaded.” Subsequently, the flight was pushed back to 7:17pm but had to return to the ramp after a passenger fell ill, coinciding with night landing restrictions at SFO and crew duty limitations.
Passengers were offered hotel accommodations, complimentary rescheduling, and refreshments. The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience caused and assured full refunds for affected passengers. Despite these efforts, passengers reported being stranded in the cabin for five to six hours before being deboarded. Several disgruntled passengers shared their experiences on social media platforms, highlighting issues such as the lack of air conditioning, suffocation, and disappointing service from the crew.
