Passengers flying from Hisar to Ayodhya on May 23 were left disappointed with the onboard experience, citing severe discomfort due to a non-functional air-conditioning system. Matters worsened on the return journey on May 25 when the flight unexpectedly landed in Delhi instead of Hisar, leaving passengers to arrange their own transport home.

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“The AC was barely circulating air. It felt suffocating inside the aircraft,” a passenger told The Tribune. A video circulating on social media shows elderly passengers using newspapers to fan themselves during the flight.

The Agarsain Bhawan Trust, which sponsors the travel of senior citizens to Ayodhya, expressed dissatisfaction. “We will file a case in the consumer court against Alliance Air for negligence. Senior citizens faced a lot of inconvenience,” said Anjani Kumar Khariawala, president of the Trust.

Alliance Air had launched the Hisar-Ayodhya-Delhi flight on March 14, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, the service has been dogged by poor management, frequent delays, and now, passenger complaints over basic amenities.

On May 25, passengers returning from Ayodhya were told at the airport that the flight would not land in Hisar and would terminate in Delhi due to alleged poor weather. “We received email alerts about delays. Later, we were informed at Ayodhya airport about the diversion. But when we called our families in Hisar, they said the weather was clear,” said another passenger. Travellers were dropped at Delhi airport around 8 pm and had to hire taxis to return to Hisar at their own expense.

When contacted, Alliance Air manager Ranjan Datta said he was in a meeting and would respond later.