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'Worst airline experience': Mohammad Siraj asks public not to fly Air India Express; fans respond

NEW DELHI: Indian pacer Mohammad Siraj described the cancellation of his Air India Express flight after a four-hour wait as his worst airline experience. Siraj was flying to Hyderabad after the second Test match against South Africa in Guwahati. He asked the public not to fly by the airline. Coming just a day after India's worst Test run defeat by 408 runs ensured the cricketer was at the receiving end of angry fans. Air India Express flight IX 2884, from Guwahati to Hyderabad, was supposed to take off at 7.25 pm, said Siraj in his post on X on Wednesday night. However, there has been no communication from the airline and after repeatedly following up, they have just delayed the flight with no proper reasoning. This has been really frustrating and this is the basic ask by every passenger, the post read. Air India flight no IX 2884 from Guwahati to Hyderabad was supposed to take off at 7.25 however there has been no communication from the airline and after repeatedly following up, they have just delayed the flight with no proper reasoning. This has been really frustrating and Mohammed Siraj (@mdsirajofficial) November 26, 2025 Flight delayed by 4 hours and still no update has left us stranded. Worst airline experience. I really would not advise anyone to take this flight if they cant take a stand, he wrote, tagging Air Indias X account. Conveying its sincere apologies to the bowler, Air India Express responded saying, We regret to inform you that the flight has been cancelled due to unforeseen operational reasons. Our team at the airport is actively assisting all guests with the necessary arrangements. We understand how difficult this situation is, and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding. Please be assured that our team will continue to keep you updated and extend all possible support. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused, Mr Siraj. We regret to inform you that the flight has been cancelled due to unforeseen operational reasons. Our team at the airport is actively assisting all guests with the necessary arrangements. We understand how difficult Air India Express (@AirIndiaX) November 26, 2025 Meanwhile, cricket fans upset over the humiliating loss to South Africa which resulted in a series whitewash vented their ire to his post, which included many humorous and sarcastic responses. Writer Bobby Mathew said, I love Air India Express. They showed true Indian Cricket fan frustration by cancelling your flight itself! Saying...TAKE THIS, MY BOY! What Fans Couldn't do, Air India Express did it! THANKS, @AirIndiaX US-based Anshu Rajan posted: The way you guys performed in the Test series against SA you deserve every bit of frustration because as a viewer we had the same feeling watching the team surrendering like a coward. Another X user added to it, saying, This is how Air India is showing its stance on poor performance in the test series. A Pakistan-based handle retorted: Air India is still performing better than you. Don't complain bhai. Just get used to it. Like we are getting used to your awesome performances. Taking a dig at standardised responses put out by airlines over any issue, a user wrote, Ask him also please share your PNR and contact details with us in the DM, and we'll assist you accordingly. A response which went viral was the handle of a former sports enthusiast who took a dig at Coach Gautam Gambhir's team selection that has invited strong criticism. @paglait posted: Bro, flight is delayed because Gambhir is arguing with the staff and wants Harshit Rana to be the pilot. Rana plays for Delhi in domestic cricket and Kolkata Knight Riders in the Premier League. Another user humorously posted, DSP Siraj sir, Please arrest some Air India staff for their callousness. A few also pointed out that due to Siraj's celebrity status, the airline chose to respond immediately while the commoner never gets replies. A fan account of Author Arundhati Roy wrote, This is the situation with almost all the domestic flights in all the airlines. Indigo passengers suffered on Wednesday evening and night with a few flights delayed up to 6 hours.