A recent incident on an IndiGo flight has stirred controversy as a passenger physically assaulted the aircraft's pilot while he was addressing the passengers about delays. The unsettling scene was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media, generating a range of opinions among netizens. The backdrop to this incident is Delhi's ongoing struggle with adverse weather conditions, particularly persistent fog, which has significantly reduced visibility and disrupted flights across northern India. The resultant delays and inconveniences appear to have aggravated the passenger involved, leading to the unfortunate altercation.
On the ground outside the Delhi airport, passengers, frustrated by the prolonged flight delays, took to raising slogans against the airlines, creating a tense atmosphere. A video circulating online depicted a sizable crowd outside Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, with some individuals audibly expressing their discontent by shouting "shame, shame."
Being stranded here for more than 7+ hours, our flights being cancelled, our luggages are lost. You Call this the country’s capital?
— Allwin (@beingAllz) January 14, 2024
Shame. #DelhiAirport #mess #stampede #chaos pic.twitter.com/wmFK4v2u5W
Additionally, numerous passengers have shared their experiences of flight attendants and other staff displaying rudeness or unkind behaviour towards them. In a particular incident, user @AuthorPrajnaa, who was travelling with IndiGo, encountered an eight-hour flight delay. Upon requesting accommodation from a customer service agent due to the prolonged wait, the passenger became agitated, citing that the staff spoke to her in a 'rude' manner.
#dgca #indigoairlines
— Author Prajnaa (@AuthorPrajnaa) January 14, 2024
It was the middle of the night and the flight was delayed for more than 8hrs. Despite of being a rule from the airlines where the customers are entitled to accommodation the indigo manager denied of providing one. She was very rude before I took this video. pic.twitter.com/6q9loanqOr
Moreover, the online sphere mirrored the on-ground sentiments, with numerous passengers and even some actors taking to social media platforms to share their personal ordeals and frustrations related to the situation.
Ranvir Shorey expressed his grievances over a 10-hour flight delay on social media. In a detailed post, the actor accused the airline of rescheduling his 2 pm flight to midnight, accompanied by what he deemed to be misleading explanations to passengers. Shorey criticised the airline's recurrent changes to schedules, reaching a breaking point upon learning that the delay was attributed to a shortage of pilots. The actor, who faced personal challenges as a result of the prolonged delay, declared his intention to file a complaint against the airline due to the distressing experience.
A rough account of what @IndiGo6E put us through yesterday:
— Ranvir Shorey (@RanvirShorey) January 15, 2024
Our flight was scheduled for 2 PM. All 8 of us checked in 2 hours prior as stipulated, and only then were we informed that the flight is 3 hours late due to bad weather (fog). We were not intimated prior to reaching…
Actor Radhika Apte also recently recounted a challenging experience at an airport, where she and fellow passengers found themselves confined inside the aerobridge following a flight delay. Without specifying the city or airline involved, Apte shared images and videos on Instagram, expressing how passengers were directed to the aerobridge after the delay, only to be subsequently locked in by airline staff.
Richa Chadha also expressed her ordeal with prolonged flight delays. In a recent social media post, the actor shared her experience of encountering delays on three consecutive flights within three days. She highlighted that both of her domestic Indigo flights were postponed by a duration of four hours each.
On my 3rd flight in 3 days… day 1, @IndiGo6E delayed by over 4 hours. Day 2, @IndiGo6E delayed by 4 hours. But the only direct flights on some routes are often Indigo. Day 3, international flight, no problem.
— RichaChadha (@RichaChadha) January 17, 2024
On the 14th of Jan, there was an air show in Mumbai, because of…
Delhi has been grappling with adverse weather conditions, including fog causing reduced visibility and impacting flights throughout northern India. Flightradar24, a global flight tracking platform, revealed that a minimum of 245 departures from the Delhi airport faced delays today. Additionally, around a hundred arrivals were also behind schedule.
The situation has led to on-ground protests, frustration among passengers, and a wave of public outcry online. The overall disruption in air travel, with numerous delays in departures and arrivals, underscores the need for improved management, transparency, and passenger communication during weather-related challenges.