Passengers stranded in Milan for 12 hours as Air India cancels Milan–Delhi flight due to technical snags

Air India passengers flying from Milan to Delhi on Friday night endured an unexpected 12-hour ordeal after their flight, AI138, was cancelled due to what the airline later described as a “maintenance task” and subsequent crew duty-time limitations.

The flight, originally scheduled to depart Milan at 9:30 pm local time on August 16, saw passengers boarded and kept inside the aircraft for nearly three hours before they were eventually asked to deplane around 1 am.

Several passengers complained about the poor condition of the aircraft, non-functional in-flight entertainment systems, faulty air-conditioning, and a general lack of communication from the crew.

“The aircraft was in bad condition. None of the IFEs were working, the AC wasn’t working, and we sat inside for three hours. Around 1 am, they told us to deplane, but there was no proper communication,” one passenger told CNBC-TV18

The situation was further compounded by Italy’s traditional August holiday break, which meant limited ground staff at Milan’s Malpensa Airport. Passengers reported that baggage retrieval after deplaning took unusually long, and they were only escorted through immigration and provided accommodation around 4:30 am.

Air India arranged hotel rooms and handed out food vouchers worth 10 euros, though some passengers said vegetarian food options had run out by the time they were served.

By afternoon, passengers were provided lunch and informed of alternate arrangements. Air India booked many travellers on a rerouted itinerary via Zurich, with cabs and buses arranged to transfer them back to the airport. A group of passengers was scheduled to fly to Zurich on Swiss Air at 7:30 pm, before connecting to Delhi on Air India’s AI152 at 9:45 pm.

However, those who had separate onward connections on other airlines were left scrambling to make their own arrangements.

In a statement, Air India confirmed the cancellation:

“Flight AI138 operating from Milan to Delhi on 16 August was cancelled due to a maintenance task identified during pushback and subsequently due to the crew coming under the mandatory flight duty time limitation norms. Air India sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers due to this unforeseen cancellation.

Our ground team in Milan extended immediate assistance to all affected passengers, providing hotel accommodation and offering full refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling as opted by the passengers. Alternative arrangements are being made to fly the passengers to their destination at the earliest. At Air India, the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain top priority,” the airline said.

This latest disruption comes amid growing concerns over Air India’s ageing fleet and repeated passenger complaints about service quality, even as the airline undertakes a major fleet renewal and retrofit programme under the Tata Group.

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