Dubai-bound Air India Express flight delayed over 8 hours in Lucknow
Airline blames technical checks and constraints
DUBAI: Passengers flying to Dubai were stuck for over eight hours at Lucknow’s airport on Wednesday, July 9, after Air India Express flight IX-193 failed to depart on time.
Scheduled for 8:45am IST (7:15am UAE time), the flight eventually took off at 5:11pm, with expected arrival in Dubai at 7:20pm UAE time.
Videos shared online showed chaotic scenes, with passengers—including elderly and children—sitting or lying on the floor. Many expressed anger over the lack of updates from the airline.
What caused the delay?
As reported by Khaleej Times, sources at Lucknow airport confirmed the disruption was caused by the inbound aircraft's delay. Flight IX-194 had been held in Dubai the night before due to a suspected technical issue, prompting precautionary checks. Though no fault was found, the resulting delay disrupted the airline’s rotation.
Air India Express later cited “operational constraints” and apologised for the inconvenience via social media.
Hi, please accept our sincere apologies for the disruption to your flight. We understand your disappointment as your travel plans are affected. The flight has been delayed due to the late arrival of the incoming aircraft and ETD is 17:00. We regret the distress caused due to the…
— Air India Express (@AirIndiaX) July 9, 2025
“There is no single staff from Air India Express helping passengers,” traveller Amrit Singh posted on X, alongside a video from the terminal.
#Air India # Air India express poor service DXB to Lucknow flight no IX194.
— Amrit Singh (@singh_amri17599) July 9, 2025
There is no singal staff from Air India express to helping passengers.
Passengers are sleeping on waiting area . pic.twitter.com/HWsHqnHcVc
Another passenger, Mohammad Azam Shaikh, posted about the inbound flight IX-194 from Dubai being delayed over 16 hours and still facing issues after boarding.
Recurring service issues
This is not the first time the airline has faced backlash on the Dubai–Lucknow route. In June, flights IX-193 and IX-194 were cancelled for three consecutive days, leaving passengers scrambling. While some were offered refunds or rebookings, many said it didn’t cover losses from hotel bookings or missed plans.
That same month, Air India Express cancelled at least 13 other flights, affecting key routes such as Delhi, Mumbai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
On June 16, another Dubai-origin flight, IX196 to Jaipur, left passengers sitting in the plane for over an hour without air-conditioning, according to viral social media posts. Some passengers, including children, were seen fanning themselves with safety cards.
The airline responded, saying passengers were on board for 1 hour and 25 minutes, not five hours as claimed. It cited open aircraft doors in Dubai heat as the reason for poor cooling, despite AC being “functioning normally”.
The incident triggered widespread criticism, with calls online for boycotting the airline.