- Ricky Kej criticises Air India after a long flight delay disrupts his travel plans
- Grammy winner thanks Bengaluru airport staff for timely help amid the delay chaos
- Kej contrasts airline mismanagement with efficient, supportive ground staff response
Flight delays and cancellations are not unusual, but what often frustrates passengers most is a lack of clear communication. Grammy‑winning Indian composer Ricky Kej shared a similar experience on social media after a disrupted Air India flight left him and his band stranded at Bengaluru airport without prior notice. In a series of posts on X on March 19, Kej alleged that the airline failed to inform passengers about the postponement of their morning flight to Delhi and said ground staff offered little clarity when the issue was raised. He later credited Bengaluru airport staff for helping resolve the situation.
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Flight Delay At Bengaluru Airport
On March 19, Kej said he was travelling with his band to Delhi for a concert and had booked business‑class tickets on Air India's 9:55 am Bengaluru–Delhi flight. According to his account, he reached the airport expecting to board the scheduled service, only to be informed at the counter that the flight had been cancelled and he had been shifted to a much later departure.
In his initial post, Kej described the situation as sudden and unexpected, saying there was “zero intimation” about the change. He added that the alternative offered was a 10 pm flight, nearly 12 hours later, and that this was done without any clear assurance or explanation.
Photo: @rickykej/X
Kej said the lack of advance notice was compounded by what he described as poor support from airline staff at the airport. He wrote that there were “no answers, reasons or any scope of discussion” at the counter and claimed staff appeared unsure about how to address the issue.
He also flagged that Air India's website continued to show the flight as operating on schedule until shortly before departure. Kej said he and his team had screenshots showing the unchanged status, which added to the confusion. In one of his replies, he stressed that the issue was affecting multiple passengers and not just his group.
Air India's Response And Kej's Concern
Photo: @rickykej/X
Air India responded to the viral post, stating that the flight had been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions in Delhi and that notifications had been sent to the registered contact details linked to the booking. The airline said passengers were accommodated on the next available flight and requested understanding.
Kej disputed this explanation, saying no notification was received by him before reaching the airport. He added that some of his team members only received alerts after their flights had already been changed, which, according to him, confirmed that their phone numbers were correctly registered.
He also questioned the airline's claim by pointing out that the flight status continued to show as “on schedule” online until around 9 am.
Intervention By Bengaluru Airport Staff
Photo Credit: @rickykej/X
In a later update, Kej clarified that the situation changed only after staff from Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, stepped in. He said Air India staff had told him that all earlier flights were fully booked and that the 10 pm service was the only option available.
According to Kej, airport staff members Vivek and Chandan took it upon themselves to assist after noticing his group in distress. He said they managed to secure seats on an 11 am flight, contradicting the earlier claim that no seats were available. Kej described their help as timely and voluntary, crediting them as the reason he was able to travel earlier than initially suggested.
He also called the Air India support staff a “bunch of cheats, liars and probably criminals,” and thanked Bengaluru staff for stepping up.
How The Internet Reacted To Ricky Kej's X Post
Several users reacted to Ricky Kej's post slamming Air India's failure to assist him.
One user wrote, “Instead of ordering large amount of aircraft's, they should have fixed first the company culture. What training does the new employee undergo at orientation? @TataCompanies. It's another Ola”
Another user commented, “You can't pay me enough to fly Air India. Can't believe it's run by the same Tata group that operates Taj Hotels. Why are they determined to drive an already pathetic airline further into the ground?”
A third user wrote, “Imagining if this can happen to you, what a common person would have gone through. Shame Air India”
“They deny seat availability, paid seat upgrades while seats are available they want salary without having to work, clueless what goes on in their training.Or probably @airindia is too complacent with their staff not performing at all.Its unbelievable what goes on at most airports,” wrote another user.
Several other users slammed Air India for not being helpful in such situations.
