Actor Tillotama Shome Slams Air India Over 8.5-Hour Flight Delay, Airline Reacts

Actor Tillotama Shome on Sunday slammed Air India for not providing information to passengers about an 8.5-hour delay on its Mumbai-London flight. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Ms Shome, who was travelling with her aged parents, criticised the airline for poor communication and lack of accountability during the delay. In a series of posts, the actor voiced her concerns about the airline's treatment of passengers. She also appealed to both Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for answers.

"AI 129. @airindia flight to Heathrow. Delayed as of now from 5.15 am to 10am. 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. India's official airline," Ms Shome wrote. 

In the following tweet, she provided an update on the new timing and voiced her concerns about the airline's treatment of passengers. "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 posted. 

@airindia@DGCAIndia AI 129 to Heathrow is delayed from 5.15 am to 1.30pm. 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?

— Tillotama Shome (@TillotamaShome) October 6, 2024

The actor also raised concern about the condition of a fellow passenger who needed urgent medical treatment in London. "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," she said. 

Replying to the actor's tweets, Air India stated that they had sent a notification about the delay to the registered phone number and regretted the inconvenience caused. The airline mentioned that their staff was actively working to minimize their passenger inconvenience. 

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.

— Air India (@airindia) October 6, 2024

However, replying to Air India, Ms Shome claimed that no notification was sent to passengers. "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," she posted. 

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Ms Shome also appealed to both Air India and the DGCA for answers. "@DGCAIndia what is the way forward? How are we being compensated for this delay? Awaiting your response. Sincerely, A concerned and exhausted citizen," she wrote. 

In her final tweet, Ms Shome said that she finally reached London after 18 hours. "A sense of relief, ruined by the dread that the return flight is with @airindia. I am returning with my aged parents. @airindia hope things are BETTER on the way back. Awaiting your response, on how you plan to make up for this debacle," she said. 

As of now, there has been no further response from Air India.