David Warner criticizes Air India after being stuck on plane with 'No pilots'

Former Australian cricketer David Warner has taken to social media to criticize Air India, claiming he was left waiting on a plane for hours without any pilots. The Tata-owned airline has recently faced multiple complaints regarding its service, with Warner’s grievance adding to growing concerns among passengers.

Warner, who retired from international cricket earlier this year and is not playing in the IPL 2025, voiced his frustration on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He questioned why passengers were allowed to board a flight when there were no pilots available. "@airindia we've boarded a plane with no pilots and waiting on the plane for hours. Why would you board passengers knowing that you have no pilots for the flight?" Warner wrote.

The Australian cricketer did not specify his destination, but his complaint comes at a time when Air India has been facing repeated customer service issues. Recently, Indian-Canadian actress Lisa Ray also slammed the airline for its lack of empathy, after she was denied a medical waiver on a ticket cancellation despite submitting a doctor's letter regarding her 92-year-old ailing father.

Ray, who booked her ticket through a third-party travel agent, was reportedly told that her ticket was non-refundable, which led to the denial of the waiver. She expressed disappointment, questioning Air India's commitment to customer care. "My father is 92, unwell and I have to cancel travel due to his ailing condition. Submitted doctors' letter and the waiver was denied? How is that possible? Where is the empathy from an airline that is claiming to care about passengers?" Ray posted.

In response, Air India reached out to Ray, asking for her email address and case ID to investigate the matter. The airline stated, "We empathize with your concern and wish your father a speedy recovery. Please help us with the email address from which you've written to us or the case ID (if any) via DM. We'll look into it."

With two high-profile complaints surfacing within days, Air India’s customer service is once again under scrutiny. While the airline has attempted to address these concerns, it remains to be seen if substantial improvements will be made to prevent such incidents in the future.