An Air India flight from Delhi to San Francisco faced a significant delay of over eight hours on Thursday, resulting in a distressing situation for passengers who were left waiting inside the aircraft without air conditioning. Several passengers shared their frustrations on X (formerly Twitter), posting visuals that depicted them waiting in the aircraft's aisle.

Journalist Shweta Punj highlighted the ordeal on X, stating that passengers of the Air India flight were made to board and sit inside the plane at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport without air conditioning. She reported that some passengers fainted due to the stifling conditions, leading to everyone being asked to deplane. Punj called the experience "inhuman" and tagged Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in her post.

"If there is a privatisation story that has failed, it is Air India. The DGCA [aviation regulator] AI 183 flight has been delayed for over eight hours. Passengers were made to board the plane without air conditioning and then deplaned after some people fainted in the flight. This is inhuman," she tweeted.

In response, Air India expressed regret over the situation and promised to provide the necessary assistance to the affected passengers. "We truly regret to note the disruptions. Please rest assured that our team is actively working to address the delay and appreciates your ongoing support and understanding. We are also alerting our team to provide necessary assistance to the passengers," the airline replied.

Other social media users, like Amadro, shared similar grievances, mentioning that his mother was stuck at the airport without any dinner or assistance. Another user, Abhishek Sharma, urged Air India to allow his parents and other stranded passengers to go home.

Air India responded to these complaints with apologies for the "inconvenience" and "discomfort," assuring that their ground team would provide the necessary assistance.

This incident is not isolated; earlier in the month, passengers on an Air India flight from Mumbai to San Francisco endured a six-hour delay with inadequate air conditioning. The recent delay occurred amidst a severe heatwave in Delhi and North India, with temperatures reaching record highs.