Air India Sets New Requirement For Flight Attendants Following Multi-Hour Delay Incidents

Summary

  • Air India has updated its cabin temperature procedures after incidents of passenger discomfort on delayed flights to San Francisco.
  • The new SOP requires cabin crew to check and set temperature levels before passengers board to prevent discomfort.
  • Recent delays on ultra-long-haul flights to SFO led to the revision, ensuring passengers are not left waiting in high temperatures.

Air India has revised its standard operating procedure (SOP) for cabin temperatures after recent incidents of passenger discomfort on its delayed flights to San Francisco came to light. One of the aircraft arranged for the flight had issues with the air conditioning, leading to some passengers even fainting.

New guidelines

After massive delays to its flights to San Francisco recently, during which one of the aircraft also had issues with its air conditioning, Air India has now developed a new set of instructions for its cabin crew members to prevent a repeat of such incidents.

The carrier was issued a show-cause notice from the aviation ministry as the significant delay caused massive discomfort to many passengers due to a malfunctioning air conditioner, with reports of some passengers even fainting.

Air India Boeing 777-300ER

Photo: viper-zero | Shutterstock

Now, Air India crew members must ensure the cabin temperature is brought down to 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 degrees Fahrenheit) before letting the passengers in.

List of instructions

The development comes amid a severe heatwave in India, with some parts reporting temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) and above. To ensure that passengers don’t suffer waiting inside the aircraft, Air India has come up with the following procedures, as reported by CNBC TV18:

  • The cabin crew must check the temperature immediately after boarding the aircraft.
  • It must be ensured that the cabin temperature is set at 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • Boarding clearance can only be given when the cabin temperature in all zones is 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) or below.
  • If the temperature cannot be brought down to the prescribed levels, the pilot in command and the assigned engineer must be notified. The commander can also give boarding clearance in such cases.
  • In case a delay is caused under such circumstances, they should be filed under ‘Miscellaneous.’
  • The crew must also be mindful not to have service doors left open if the catering-related activities are not in progress.
  • Before passenger boarding begins, the cabin crew members must also open all air vents.
Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

The incident that led to these changes

Recently, Air India was in hot water when two of its ultra-long-haul flights to San Francisco got massively delayed within days of one another, resulting in terrible inconvenience for passengers. The first incident occurred on flight 179 from Mumbai to San Francisco, which involved everything from unloading bags of passengers who did not want to travel to even a passenger getting sick.

Air India Boeing 777 in San Francisco

Photo: Sundry Photography | Shutterstock

But perhaps it was the second delay of flight 183 from New Delhi to San Francisco that led to the carrier revising its rules for cabin temperature. The delay lasted over 30 hours, and one passenger said that the replacement aircraft did not have working air conditioning.

Related

Air India Scrutinized After Delaying Two Separate Long-Haul Flights To San Francisco For Multiple Hours

Passengers weren’t happy after two long-haul flights to San Francisco were delayed.

There were more than 200 passengers, including the elderly and children, and they were extremely uncomfortable, with some reportedly fainting during the time they were onboard the aircraft. After disembarking, they had to further wait on the jetway for nearly an hour before the gates were opened to enter the airport.

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  • Air India Tile

    Air India

    IATA/ICAO Code:
    AI/AIC

    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier

    Hub(s):
    Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport

    Year Founded:
    1946

    Alliance:
    Star Alliance

    CEO:
    Campbell Wilson

    Country:
    India

    Region:
    Asia

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