Dozens of passengers on board Air India Express flight IX 346 were left stranded inside a sweltering aircraft for over four hours on Friday morning before being told their flight to Kozhikode had been cancelled.
The flight, scheduled to depart from Dubai at 9:00am, began boarding around 8:15am. However, what followed was a prolonged and distressing wait on the tarmac, with passengers reporting a lack of air conditioning, no communication from the crew and escalating discomfort inside the cabin.
By 12:15pm, passengers were finally asked to disembark. Videos circulating on social media show fliers using safety cards to fan themselves while others attempted to get relief by adjusting air vents and overhead fans. At around 1:00pm, they were taken back to the terminal.
According to Air India Express, the cancellation was due to a technical issue. A spokesperson for the airline confirmed to Khaleej Times: “A technical snag was notified on one of our aircraft, after boarding in Dubai. The aircraft’s air-conditioning system was fully functional, and an additional ground air-conditioning unit was also arranged. The systems were briefly switched off as per standard protocols while maintenance teams were working to resolve the issue.”
Meanwhile, a separate Air India Express flight, IX 523 from Thiruvananthapuram to Abu Dhabi, also faced delays. Initially scheduled for a 1:15pm departure (India time), the flight eventually took off at 2:40pm.
Passengers have voiced frustration over the lack of clear communication and the physical toll of the prolonged delay, especially in the midst of summer heat. No compensation or alternative arrangements have been publicly announced by the airline as of Friday afternoon.