Minister Venkaiah Naidu said he was told the flight was delayed because of the pilot.
Highlights
- Minister attacks Air India after he misses a meeting due to flight delay
- Informed that flight was delayed as pilot hadn't come, tweeted minister
- Transparency and accountability are need of the hour: Venkaiah Naidu
A furious Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu today hit out at Air India in a series of tweets after a delayed flight led to a missed appointment. He got an apology, and an unusual reason - the pilot was stuck in a traffic jam.
The minister says he reached the airport at around 12.30 pm for his flight to Hyderabad at around 1.15 pm, only to be told that the pilot had not showed up. That set off a volley on social media against the flag carrier.
Mr Naidu, who was reportedly heading for a meeting on the "Swachch Bharat" campaign, said he waited for half an hour and left. The flight left at 2.30 pm.
In its response, Air India said: "We deeply regret the inconvenience caused due to flight delay. The pilot was stuck in traffic jam."
Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said he had asked the airline to investigate and take action.