KOCHI: Despite a slew of recent measures to improve its performance, Air India tops the chart of flight delays. According to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry data that shows delays beyond two hours, more than 8.8 lakh Air India passengers were left in the lurch because of long delays in the period between July 2014 and June 2016. It amounts to nearly 50 per cent of the total air travellers hit by flight delays across the country.
With 3.7 lakh passengers grounded, Indigo Airlines is at a distant second. During the winter season, the number of travellers hit by delays double as reasons like poor visibility affect flight operation. When ‘Express’ contacted Air India officials, they refused to comment.
“It is sad that the national carrier, which should be the role model for other airlines, has been taking passengers for a ride by not sticking to the time table,” Biji Eapen, national president, IATA Agents Association of India, told Express.
When the On time performance (OTP) of Air India was hovering around near 7 per cent, other private airlines were keeping their OTP around 88-90 per cent, he said. “At the end of the day, passengers will prefer other private airlines to avoid the delay,” he said.
The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued Air Transport Circular on procedure to be followed to reduce flight delays.