AIR INDIA, once known as the proud “Maharaja” of the skies, is now becoming a national embarrassment because of its poor services, mismanagement, and rude behaviour. Sadly, I had to travel with this airline twice, and both experiences were disappointing and stressful. It made me wonder — can we really be proud of our national airline?
During my first trip, I thought maybe the problems were just by chance. But the second trip confirmed that disorder and poor service are common with Air India. Sometimes, the in-flight entertainment doesn’t work. Other times, you don’t even get drinking water. If you’re lucky to get water, there’s no tea available — and if there is, you have to pay for it. It feels like you’re at a cheap bus station, not on a flight with the national airline.
Is this the same airline that was once counted among the best in the world? Today, Air India can’t even offer basic services properly, let alone treat passengers with respect.
In contrast, I have travelled with airlines like Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, and Iran Air. Honestly, Air India is far behind them in every area — from seat cleanliness to staff behaviour to food and drink services. In every way, Air India fails badly.
Even if international flights are delayed, the airline staff treat passengers politely, give them information, and try their best to help. But Air India staff often speak rudely and act as if they don’t even want to do their job.
What’s worse is that Air India doesn’t charge low fares. Sometimes, it even charges more than other airlines. Yet, the service is shamefully poor. And sadly, the management doesn’t seem to care. There’s no apology, no effort to improve. It seems like they think this bad service is normal and don’t care how much the passengers suffer.
This problem isn’t just with regular flights. Even during Hajj, when people are going on a sacred journey, pilgrims suffer because of Air India’s poor service. Flights are delayed, basic facilities are missing, and the management is careless. Many pilgrims face problems with their luggage, food, and overall arrangements — turning a religious journey into a painful experience.
Famous journalist and social worker Afroz Alam Sahil has raised these issues many times through his articles and social media posts. He has spoken and written a lot about the poor treatment of pilgrims by Air India. But sadly, it seems no one in power is listening or taking action.
The recent incident in Ahmedabad has made things even worse. It’s true that accidents can happen anywhere. But a responsible airline always focuses on proper maintenance and safety checks. Air India doesn’t seem to care about that at all.
We must all ask ourselves a serious question: when a national institution falls to such a low level, should we stay silent? No — silence is also a kind of crime. It’s time for the government, the aviation department, and Air India’s top officials to take this issue seriously.
If an airline is a symbol of the nation, then its staff, services, and behaviour must also reflect that pride. Otherwise, it becomes just an empty shell — something that exists only in name, not in reality.
Air India must urgently make changes — like better staff training, improving service quality, and focusing on flight safety. Without safety, and proper service, an airline is nothing more than a flying coffin.
_______________
Mohammad Alamullah is UK-based author and journalist. He did his PhD from Dr KR Narayanan Centre for Dalit and Minority Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia. He has also served as a media consultant at Jamia Millia Islamia and has written two books, Muslim Majlis Mushawarat: Ek Khususi Tareekh and Kuch Din Iran Mein. The views expressed here are author’s personal.
