Hisar-Ayodhya route passengers left stranded; disappointed with onboard experience

Passengers flying from Hisar to Ayodhya in Alliance Air flight 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,” a passenger told The Tribune. A video circulating on social media also 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,” authorities said.

Anjani Kumar Khariawala, president of the Trust, said that on May 23, the Trust had sent 11 senior citizens from Hisar to Ayodhya via an Alliance Air flight as part of a scheduled trip. However, during their return on Sunday, they were informed at the Ayodhya airport that their flight would no longer land in Hisar and would instead go to Delhi.

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

Passengers traveling from Ayodhya to Hisar were deboarded in Delhi. Though they had earlier received email notifications about delays, they were later informed at the airport that the flight would terminate in Delhi due to alleged poor weather in Hisar. However, when passengers contacted their families in Hisar, they were told that the weather was clear. Eventually, they were dropped at Delhi Airport around 8 pm and had to manage their return trip to Hisar.

When contacted, Alliance Air manager Ranjan Datta said he was in a meeting and would respond later. Passengers have since demanded compensation from the airline for the inconvenience and mismanagement.