Air India Issues New Guidelines After 30-Hour Flight Delay, DGCA Notice

Air India has issued new guidelines to its cabin crew following a 30-hour delay of a flight from New Delhi to San Francisco, which led to a show-cause notice from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The Tata Group-owned airline has instructed its cabin crew to ensure planes are adapted to high temperatures across India. Temperature issues contributed to some passengers reportedly fainting due to non-functional air conditioning.

The guidelines, dated June 1, include setting the cabin temperature to 22 degrees Celsius, opening air vents prior to boarding, and allowing boarding clearance only after the temperature is reduced to below 25 degrees Celsius.

In recent days, at least three international flights have faced significant delays. The airline attributed these delays to "technical issues" and mandatory flight duty limitations, without specifying if air conditioning problems were involved.

The DGCA's show-cause notice stated that Air India has repeatedly failed to adequately care for passengers and comply with civil aviation requirements.