Senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has expressed his frustration over a delay on an Air India flight from Delhi to Chennai, criticizing the airline’s management and its handling of the situation.
Chidambaram, a frequent Air India traveler, took to social media to share his experience after passengers on flight AI 540 were reportedly made to wait at the aircraft door for 15 minutes, despite being cleared for boarding. The flight, initially scheduled to depart at 8:45 pm, was delayed by an additional half hour, with the new departure time set at 9:15 pm.
The Congress leader tweeted, “All passengers on flight AI 540 Delhi to Chennai are standing on the aero bridge for the last 15 minutes. We were cleared for boarding at the gate but were told to wait at the aircraft door. Passengers are just boarding 10 minutes after departure time. No one knows when the flight will depart.”
Chidambaram further expressed disappointment in Air India’s management, stating, “I regret that there has been practically no improvement since the management changed hands from the government to the private sector. I can list a number of aspects of flying that can be improved by competent management. I think Air India lacks competent managers at different levels.”
In a subsequent update, the senior Congress leader confirmed that the flight, which had been scheduled to depart at 8:45 pm, was now pushing back at 9:25 pm and would take off shortly.
Chidambaram’s comments reflect ongoing concerns over the airline’s operational efficiency, even after it was privatized, as passengers continue to face delays and inconveniences.
