Passengers bear the brunt

The airline and its crew position themselves as adversaries, and the results are there for all to see

MUMBAI: Transporting passengers safely is the responsibility of all airlines and hence when visibility drops, the Air Traffic Control may cancel flights. However, what troubles a passenger is the lack of information, improper services at the airport for the waiting passenger and the deficiency in providing basic amenities.

A recent incident where an Air India flight from Mumbai to Delhi was diverted to Ahmedabad and the travellers were left in the lurch is an example of the sorry state of affairs.

The pilot of the aircraft allegedly got his plane down at Ahmedabad and all the cabin crew along with those on the flight deck, disembarked saying that they had flown the mandatory hours as per international standards and would not take the plane any further.

When passengers asked what would be their fate, they got no reply at all. Air India then requisitioned another set of crew from another destination to Ahmedabad and the flight departed for Delhi almost 24 hours after it had departed from Mumbai.

The incident shows the true colours of the national airline at a time when the airline industry is going through immense travails and tribulations. For one, those who planned the diversion should have had some idea about the flight duties and availability of additional crew before diverting the plane to Ahmedabad.

At this time of the year, fog and consequent delays is nothing new, and not planning for such an event literally amounts to criminal dereliction of duty.

While the airline is taking no cognisance of ground realities, the staff of the airline also cannot escape their share of the blame for the fiasco.

International pilots now fly as much as 16-18 hours on non-stop flights from Mumbai to various destinations in the US and working for an hour after ‘official duty hours’ would not have been beyond the call of duty for the crew. Unfortunately, the airline and its crew see each other as adversaries rather than being complementary to each other and the results are there for all to see.

The man who will finally bear all the brunt is the consumer - his only remedy is to go to a consumer court which will normally rule in his favour and ask the airline to pay a hefty compensation. The case for privatisation of the airline becomes one of top priority if this trend has to be kept in check.