A passenger blames you personally for a delay you did not cause. How would you respond?

If a passenger blamed me personally for a delay I did not cause, I would not take the bait emotionally. I would acknowledge the frustration, but I would not accept the conversation in personal terms. I might say, "I understand this is frustrating. Let me tell you what I know and what I can help with from here."

That keeps the interaction grounded in facts and next steps instead of turning into an argument about blame. I would avoid getting defensive or trying to prove the passenger wrong, because that almost never improves the situation and often makes nearby passengers more tense.