Supriya Sule did not provide details about her flight details (File)
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) MP Supriya Sule on Friday slammed Air India after her flight was delayed for over an hour at the Delhi Airport.
Taking to her official X account, Ms Sule said she was experiencing "yet another delay" by Air India and that passengers were "stranded and visibly distressed".
"Flight was scheduled for 10:30 PM, delayed to 11:30 PM, and now further pushed to 11:45 PM," she posted.
"This isn't an isolated case - it's becoming a troubling norm," Ms Sule said and tagged Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu to "intervene without delay".
Ms Sule, who represents Maharashtra's Baramati in the Lok Sabha, did not provide details about her flight details.
Air India responded to her post and said the adverse weather earlier in Delhi had delayed multiple flights and had a "cascading effect" on its schedule across the network.
Dear Ms. Sule, adverse weather earlier in Delhi today delayed multiple flights that had a cascading effect on our schedule across the network. Your flight will depart shortly. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
— Air India (@airindia) May 2, 2025
"We appreciate your patience and understanding," the airline added.
Supriya Sule's Tussle With Air India
This was not the first time that the Maharashtra politician has called out Air India. In March, Supriya Sule slammed Air India for its "endlessly delayed" flights. In a post on X, she voiced frustration over the setbacks that flyers suffer because of what she described as "constant mismanagement" by the airline.
She had also questioned the gap between the premium fares passengers pay and the alleged subpar service they receive.
"Air India flights are endlessly delayed - this is unacceptable! We pay premium fares, yet flights are never on time. Professionals, children, and senior citizens - all affected by this constant mismanagement. Urging the Civil Aviation Minister to take action and hold Air India accountable," she wrote.
In a separate post, she claimed that her Air India flight AI0508 was delayed by 1 hour and 19 minutes and attributed it to a "part of a continuous trend of delays affecting passengers."
"I was travelling on Air India flight AI0508, which was delayed by 1 hour and 19 minutes - part of a continuous trend of delays affecting passengers. This is unacceptable. Urging Hon'ble Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to enforce stricter regulations to hold airlines like Air India accountable for repeated delays and ensure better service standards for passengers," Ms Sule wrote.
I was travelling on Air India flight AI0508, which was delayed by 1 hour and 19 minutes — part of a continuous trend of delays affecting passengers. This is unacceptable.
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) March 21, 2025
Urging Hon'ble Civil Aviation Minister @RamMNK to enforce stricter regulations to hold airlines like… https://t.co/ydqw9NJzcR
In response, Air India acknowledged the inconvenience caused and attributed the delay to "operational issues beyond their control".
Last year, she blasted Air India after her flight was delayed with "no prior information to passengers".
Over 200 Flights Delayed At Delhi Airport After Heavy Rain
More than 200 flights were delayed at Delhi Airport after an intense storm with heavy rain hit Delhi Friday morning. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said this was the second-highest 24-hour spell of rain witnessed by the national capital in May since 1901.
Three flights were also diverted as thunderstorms and gusty winds disrupted operations.
An official said two flights that were to land at the airport were diverted to Jaipur and Ahmedabad.
In an advisory issued around 10 PM, Delhi Airport said that certain airline operations may experience delays due to "shifting wind pattern in the vicinity of the airport".
"Air traffic flow management measures for flight arrivals will be implemented from 2230 hours IST till 0130 hours IST tomorrow by ATC authorities to ensure safe operations, in accordance with international and regulatory protocols, keeping passenger safety as the highest priority," it said.
Passenger Advisory issued at 22:12 Hrs#DelhiAirport #PassengerAdvisory pic.twitter.com/ZcJjr6jmqf
— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) May 2, 2025
"All other operations across terminals and three runways at Delhi Airport, continue to function normally. Passengers are advised to stay in touch with their respective Airlines for the latest updates on flight schedules. We appreciate your understanding," it added.
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