Actor Tillotama Shome slams Air India for 8.5 hours delay: No solutions offered

Actor Tillotama Shome expressed her frustration and concern over a significant delay in her Air India flight to London Heathrow on social media platform X. The Delhi Crime actor criticised the airline for poor communication and lack of accountability during the delay, which affected numerous passengers, including a patient in need of medical treatment.
In her series of tweets, Shome first highlighted the initial delay, writing, “AI 129. @airindia flight to Heathrow. Delayed as of now from 5.15 am to 10 am. No message, no calls from the airlines to notify passengers of the delay. Upon contacting AI, all they can say is sorry. Zero accountability and no solutions offered (sic).”
As the delay continued, Shome provided an update on the new timing and voiced her concerns about the airline’s treatment of passengers. “AI 129 to Heathrow is delayed from 5.15 am to 1.30 pm. No information of delay was given. No calls, no messages. No hotel provided to sleep. No alternative flight options. Our luggage is checked in. Is this LEGAL? How are we being compensated? (sic),” she wrote.
One of Shome’s most serious concerns was the condition of a fellow passenger who needed urgent medical treatment in London. She said, “A patient undergoing treatment has been sitting here since 2 am for the 5.15 am flight. She needs to get to London for treatment. We sincerely request you @airindia to NOT operate until you get your act together (sic).”
In her final tweet, she appealed to both Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for answers. “@DGCAIndia what is the way forward? How are we being compensated for this delay? Awaiting your response. Sincerely, A concerned and exhausted citizen (sic),” she concluded.
Air India responded to her concerns writing, “Dear Ms. Shome, we understand that flight disruptions can be frustrating. Rest assured, our colleagues at the airport are doing everything to minimise the inconvenience. For any real-time assistance, the passengers are requested to reach out to them (sic).”
Shome, however, was quick to reply, expressing her dissatisfaction. “Where are they for any real-time assistance? After check-in, now we are being informed that flight is further delayed by 3.5 hours. That is a total delay of 8.5 hours (sic),” she wrote.

Air India later responded, claiming passengers had been notified. “Ma’am, the notification about the delay was sent out on the registered phone number. Also, our team on the ground has been actively communicating with the passengers to offer assistance and provide real-time updates about the situation. We regret the inconvenience caused to you (sic),” they wrote.
Shome disputed this claim, tweeting, “NO. And it is not just me, many passengers have not received any communication. Your staff admitted saying, ‘it takes time to call so many people. We called as many as we could.’ This is not a house party time being changed, it’s a flight. Stop deflecting. Take responsibility (sic).”

As of now, there has been no further response from Air India, and Shome’s tweets have sparked broader conversations about airline accountability and communication with passengers during extended delays.