79% Air India passengers faced maintenance issues since last year
What's the story
A recent survey by LocalCircles has revealed a major spike in maintenance-related complaints among Air India passengers. The study found that 79% of fliers who traveled on the airline in the last 12 months faced aircraft quality and maintenance issues. This is a sharp rise from 55% in the previous duration, marking a massive 24-percentage-point increase.
Regulatory action
Spike in complaints amid DGCA's scrutiny of Air India's operations
The spike in complaints comes as Air India faces scrutiny from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) over serious operational lapses. Recently, the regulator issued a show-cause notice to the airline for violating flight duty limits and asked it to remove officials who scheduled crews in violation of licensing, rest, and recency norms.
Rising issues
Survey highlights other rising passenger concerns
The LocalCircles survey, which covered 307 districts and received over 15,000 responses, also highlighted other rising concerns among passengers. Baggage handling issues were reported by 48% of respondents, up from 38% in the previous year. Complaints about entertainment systems increased from 24% to 36%, while dissatisfaction with customer service rose from 24% to 31%.
Service concerns
Despite some improvements, rise in key service complaints is worrying
Despite some improvements, like a drop in timeliness complaints from 69% to 48% and staff attitude concerns falling from 38% to 31%, the rise in complaints about key services points to a wider trust deficit. The growing dissatisfaction has been reflected in several mid-air returns and emergency landings recently, including flights to Hong Kong, Ranchi, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Information
Experts call for high-level review to address systemic issues
The sharp rise in maintenance-related complaints has prompted renewed calls for a high-level review. Experts believe that systemic safety and service issues need intervention beyond just regulatory oversight. They suggest setting up a joint panel with Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to address these concerns.