On Sunday, 6th October, famous Bollywood actress Tillotama Shome slammed the services of Air India for a delay of 8.5 hours in her flight to London Heathrow. She criticised the airline's communication and accountability, affecting many passengers.
She made a series of posts on X. She wrote, “AI 129. @airindia flight to Heathrow. Delayed as of now from 5.15 am to 10 am. No message, no calls from the airlines to notify passengers of the delay. Upon contacting AI, all they can say is sorry. Zero accountability and no solutions offered.”
After sometime she provided the update and wrote, “AI 129 to Heathrow is delayed from 5.15 am to 1.30 pm. No information of delay was given. No calls, no messages. No hotel provided to sleep. No alternative flight options. Our luggage is checked in. Is this LEGAL? How are we being compensated?”
She then showed her concern for a patient and wrote, “A patient undergoing treatment has been sitting here since 2 am for the 5.15 am flight. She needs to get to London for treatment. We sincerely request you @airindia to NOT operate until you get your act together.
In her final post she wrote, “@DGCAIndia what is the way forward? How are we being compensated for this delay? Awaiting your response. Sincerely, A concerned and exhausted citizen.”
After all these posts made by actress Tillotama Shome, Air India responded saying, “Dear Ms. Shome, we understand that flight disruptions can be frustrating. Rest assured, our colleagues at the airport are doing everything to minimise the inconvenience. For any real-time assistance, the passengers are requested to reach out to them.”
Just after the response given by Air India, she replied them back saying, “Where are they for any real-time assistance? After check-in, now we are being informed that flight is further delayed by 3.5 hours. That is a total delay of 8.5 hours.”
In response Air India wrote, “Ma'am, the notification about the delay was sent out on the registered phone number. Also, our team on the ground has been actively communicating with the passengers to offer assistance and provide real-time updates about the situation. We regret the inconvenience caused to you.”
However, Tillotama disputed this claim and said, “NO. And it is not just me, many passengers have not received any communication. Your staff admitted saying, 'it takes time to call so many people. We called as many as we could.' This is not a house party time being changed, it's a flight. Stop deflecting. Take responsibility.”