Why the Indians DislikeTheir Airlines

Friday, 8th March 2013 at 09:15am

If you were an Indian traveler, you would not probably bat an eye before you issue a litany of your own experience flying with any of the airlines.

To many Indian travelers, Indian airlines are getting on their nerves already. For obvious reasons. In October last year, an Air India flight from Mangalore touched down at the Dubai Airport hours behind its estimated time of arrival. The bees were blamed for the delay.

A most recent incident befell on Air India Express late last week when flight IX 452 from Abu Dhabi was diverted to Kerala's capital, Thiruvananthapuram, some 220 kilometers south of Kochi, the final destination of the said flight, causing discomfort to its passengers. The airline claimed it was due to inclement weather which prevented the plane from making a landing at Kochi. Passengers were reportedly left for hours inside the plane sweltering in heat and were not given any provision that may alleviate their discomfort such as food and water.

The pitiful condition of the passengers inside was not well attended to by the airline staff. Many alleged that the crew even dismissed their pleadings which added to the insult. Some enraged passengers reportedly went inside the cockpit and threatened the crew prompting its captain, Rupali Waghmare, to sound the hijack alarm.

As a result, six of those passengers, all Abu Dhabi residents, are now facing hijack charges.

Non-resident Indians in UAE, through Pravasi Action Council, asked the Kerala High Court to order Air India to provide compensation to all the affected passengers of the diverted flight.

One respondent of the case to hijack charges, Thomson Jose Akkara, denied the charges adding that no violence ever took place in the cockpit involving them or any of the passengers, for that matter.

Pravasi Action Council chairman, Dr. Rahman couldn't hide his utter displeasure on Air India saying the airline lacks a concept of customer service. He alleged that the airline has consistently made a failing grade in all aspects of customer service as a result of constant delays and cancellations of its flights as well as the bland food on board.

But according to an airline official, Seema Srivastava, Air India has a better record than its rivals in terms of on-time performance, debunking the claims by critics. She also claimed that the airline has a more extensive network than its rivals while, at the same time, offering affordable ticket prices. All in all, Air India Express and its full-service mother unit, Air India, serve 3,000 passengers daily from the Gulf to 16 Indian destinations.

Some travelers fly with Air India only because they don't have other options, especially those who live where no other airlines serve the routes. Some vowed not to ever fly again with the airline after a series of misfortunes.

Keralites have long proposed to the state government to set up a Kerala state-owned airline. Non-resident Keralites in the Gulf are throwing their full support to the proposal in order to end the misery of the travelers between the Gulf states and India, particularly in Kerala.

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