‘No food, water’: Passengers stuck for 5 hours on Air India Express flight in Dubai

Passengers onboard an Air India Express flight from Dubai to Jaipur were reportedly left stranded inside a grounded aircraft for over five hours without access to proper air conditioning, food, or water, triggering anger and allegations of negligence.

Flight IX-196, scheduled to depart from Dubai at 7.25pm on June 13, was unable to take off on time due to a technical snag. But instead of being allowed to deplane, more than 150 passengers were allegedly kept inside the aircraft as cabin temperatures soared.

A video was posted by Indian dietician and social media influencer Arzoo Sethi, which has since gone viral. In the video, visibly distressed passengers can be seen drenched in sweat, fanning themselves with safety cards and whatever they can find to stay cool.

“We were boarded at 7pm, but the flight’s AC never came on. My three-year-old son was soaked in sweat. Not a single attendant came to help us. No one gave us water, let alone food,” Sethi said in her post. “If the aircraft had a technical fault, they could’ve let us wait in the terminal. But they chose to lock us inside like this.”

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Describing the experience as “horrific” and “terrifying,” Sethi publicly tagged Air India Express, saying: “This is a serious safety lapse. Please take responsibility for your passengers’ well-being before it’s too late.”

Another passenger, Ravi Kumar, echoed her concerns. “There was suffocation. The air-conditioning wasn’t working. We kept pressing the call button, but no one came. It felt like torture,” he said.

The flight finally took off at 12.44am, over five hours behind schedule and landed in Jaipur at 2.44am on June 14.

Several passengers have since taken to social media to express their outrage and demand accountability from the airline.

Responding to the incident, Air India Express said “some of our flights from cities in the UAE are experiencing delays post-boarding due to ATC congestion following the closure of certain airspaces.”

The airline’s spokesperson acknowledged awareness of the viral video and noted that a guest had commented on the cabin temperature while the aircraft remained on the ground.

“The air conditioning system was functioning normally; however, when an aircraft remains on ground with its doors open for an extended period, especially in hot weather conditions like those in Dubai, the cooling effect may not feel optimal until after take-off,” the spokesperson stated in an email to Khaleej Times.

The spokesperson also added that the cabin crew, in line with procedure, secured the cabin for departure and responded to guest requests, including call bells, once the flight was airborne.

“We regret the inconvenience caused due to factors beyond our control and sincerely appreciate the understanding of our guests,” the spokesperson said.

Clarification: This report has been updated to include a detailed statement from the airline shared with Khaleej Times.