Even though many people have written tons on this fantastic thing India has to offer, no one has realized that this is a flying ’time bomb’. This is basic violation of human right and a unique way to dent the dignity of people.
On 13th January 2007 I had the misfortune of taking Alliance flight from Vizag one more time in my life to come to Delhi. I am sure people who are forced to take this airlines have noticed that it flies only to destinations with very poor or no connectivity. In other words, government is exploiting its monopoly on these routes.
Prehistoric 737s are, as another person has already pointed on this site, are living proof that God has some consideration for people of India.
One of the passenger got locked in the toilet as the door refused to open from inside. Flight attendants, who will get no challenge at all if ever there is a competing of ’most rude cabin staff’ globally took 10 minutes to decide out of 4 of them, who will open it from outside. In the meanwhile, a passanger sitting nearby did the simple thing which looked like going to another goverment commission.
Delay of 3 hrs and horrible food apart, the safety standards and general maintenance of these aircraft is so poor that one doubts the way clearance is being obtained for its air worthiness. May be the "Great Indian JUGAD system" is what helps the airlines to get it.
I was further ashamed to see a good number of ex partiate passengers joining our misery at Raipur airport. What type of impression these people get about Indian aviation sector?
What right this airlies has to charge even a single USD from these passangers for the horrible experience. The end of all these flights are normally a very rough landing. Some lucky passangers have survived to tell their grandchildren how an aircraft can make two landings in a single attempt (this happened with many of us while coming back from Vizag at Bhubanehwar airport around 3 years back).
On a lighter side, I think Government can well promote this as part of "adventure tourism". Lines like- oldest flying equipments in the world will, for sure, have many takers. And the way these aircraft swing in all the direction at the slightest turbulence, anyone with adventure as motive, will not be disappointed.