Supriya Sule, leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), launched a scathing attack on Air India on Saturday, criticizing the airline for what she described as “endlessly delayed” flights and urging the Civil Aviation Ministry to step in. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), she directly tagged Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, calling for stricter regulations and more accountability from airlines repeatedly inconveniencing passengers. Sule highlighted her own frustrating experience on Air India flight AI0508, which was delayed by 1 hour and 19 minutes — something she described as part of a “continuous trend of delays” affecting passengers across the country.
Sule didn’t hold back, emphasizing that the airline’s failures were especially unacceptable given the premium fares passengers pay. “We pay premium fares, yet flights are never on time. Professionals miss meetings, children face unnecessary discomfort, and senior citizens are left stranded in airports due to this mismanagement. This is not just about one flight — it’s a pattern, and it needs to stop,” she wrote. Her call to action urged Minister Naidu to enforce tougher penalties on airlines that repeatedly fail to maintain schedules and to push for more robust service standards across the aviation sector.
Air India, now under Tata Group ownership, has yet to respond to Sule’s public criticism. However, this isn’t the first time the airline has come under fire in recent months. Just last month, BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill lambasted Air India for what he described as “pathetic” on-ground support services and poor overall experience. Shergill claimed that despite Air India’s promises of better service post-privatization, the reality still falls far short of passenger expectations. He argued that customers deserve more than "empty assurances and substandard experiences."
Adding to the chorus of discontent, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also had a public showdown with the airline earlier this year. Chouhan revealed that during his flight from Bhopal to New Delhi, he was assigned a broken and sunken seat — seat number 8C — despite having pre-booked it. He described his shock upon finding the seat in that condition and expressed further disappointment when airline staff admitted that management had already been made aware of the issue but still proceeded to assign the faulty seat. “This is nothing short of cheating the passengers,” Chouhan said, underscoring his belief that Air India’s service remains a far cry from the standards expected of a national carrier.
The backlash against Air India isn’t limited to politicians. Frustrated passengers continue to share their own experiences online, recounting tales of unexplained delays, poor in-flight service, baggage mishandling, and unresponsive customer support. For many, the airline’s Tata-backed revamp had raised hopes of a more reliable, world-class flying experience — a hope that now seems to be fading.
Sule’s intervention carries added weight because it taps into a broader, ongoing debate about passenger rights and airline accountability in India. With domestic air travel booming post-pandemic and Indian carriers expanding their international footprints, the expectation is that service standards should rise, not fall. Yet, stories of flight delays, equipment malfunctions, and poor staff behavior seem to persist.
For Air India, the stakes are particularly high. After years of financial losses, the airline’s privatization and subsequent acquisition by Tata Group were hailed as a new dawn for the carrier. The company announced ambitious plans to modernize its fleet, improve service quality, and re-establish Air India as a premier global airline. But with a steady stream of high-profile complaints like those from Sule, Shergill, and Chouhan, the airline risks tarnishing its efforts before they even gain momentum.
Moreover, Sule’s pointed appeal to the Civil Aviation Minister adds a political dimension to the issue. Aviation regulations in India already empower authorities to levy penalties on airlines for operational lapses, but enforcement has been inconsistent. If high-profile complaints keep piling up, pressure could mount on the ministry to take a tougher stance — including financial penalties, mandatory compensations for delayed flights, and stricter performance benchmarks for airlines.
For now, passengers are left waiting — quite literally — for Air India to respond and for the government to decide whether it will step in to protect the rights of millions of fliers. As public dissatisfaction grows and influential voices demand accountability, one thing is clear: Air India’s journey to reclaim its former glory is facing more turbulence than anticipated.
