Pune: Over 7-Hour Delay of Air India Express Pune-Delhi Flight Leaves Flyers Fuming
Over 100 passengers were left stranded at Pune Airport overnight after Air India Express flight IX-1144 to Delhi was delayed by more than seven hours. The incident began late Thursday night (April 3) and extended into the morning of Friday, April 4, 2025. The flight was originally scheduled to depart at 1:05am and arrive in Delhi by 3:25am on Friday, but it finally took off at 8:35am and landed around 10:30am.
Frustrated passengers took to social media to voice their anger. Ankit Kishen posted multiple updates on X (formerly Twitter), expressing disappointment over the prolonged wait, saying he had been at the airport since midnight and calling it his “last flight” with Air India Express due to the repeated delays. He also shared images showing arguments between passengers and ground staff. In response to his posts, the airline replied:
“We understand your disappointment, you can reach out to our nearest staff for any assistance.”
Another flyer, Avez Memon, also expressed his frustration, posting:
“Disappointed by the pathetic service provided by Air India Express, which delayed flight from 1am to 6am and was still delaying with flight number IX 1144. Was also disappointed to see that they were still selling the remaining tickets. Disappointed.”
@AirIndiaX @mohol_murlidhar
— Avez Memon (@avez_memon2) April 4, 2025
Disappointed by the pathetic service provided by Air Indian Express, which delayed flight from 1 am to 6 am and was still delaying with flight number IX 1144
was also disappointed to see that they where still selling the remaining tickets
Disappointed pic.twitter.com/8Ywszc2oj8
To which Air India Express responded:
“Accept our sincere apologies for the disruption of your flight, Avez. To assist you further and check the latest status, please DM us your booking details (PNR). Thanks for your patience and understanding.”
According to various media reports, passengers at the airport described the scene as chaotic, with no clear communication throughout the night. Some airline staff mentioned technical issues while others referred to operational reasons, but no official explanation was offered to flyers on-site. The airline later attributed the delay to “operational reasons” and claimed staff were assisting passengers.
A source within the airline said that passengers were informed of the delay in advance. Another frequent flyer called for DGCA intervention, stating that such delays, coupled with poor communication, are unacceptable and deserve regulatory scrutiny.
