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India’s low-cost airline company IndiGo has released a statement apologising to customers after a video went viral on social media, showing passengers of its Goa-Delhi flight, sitting on the tarmac and having food.
The IndiGo flight was delayed multiple times and diverted due to the poor weather conditions, leaving passengers no choice but to sit on the tarmac and conduct their business.
“We are aware of the incident involving IndiGo flight 6E2195 from Goa to Delhi on January 14, 2024. The flight was diverted to Mumbai due to low visibility conditions in Delhi. We sincerely apologise to our customers and are currently looking into the incident. We will take necessary steps to avoid any such instances in the future,” the airline said in a statement.
The viral video showed some of the passengers having dinner while others scrolled through their phones aimlessly, awaiting updates on the status of their flight.
The flight was scheduled to take off at 9:15 am IST on Sunday (Jan 14) but got delayed till evening and was eventually diverted to Mumbai where it landed at 5:12 am on Monday (Jan 15).
Watch | Delhi Fog: Around 30 flights delayed, 17 cancelled
Taking stock of the video, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia held a meeting with all ministry officials and in the early hours of Tuesday (Jan 16).
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued show-cause notices to IndiGo and Mumbai Airport.
IndiGo pilot punched
This is not the first time that IndiGo has come under controversy in the last few days as cold, foggy weather disrupts flight operations across the country.
On Sunday, a passenger named Sahil Kataria charged at co-captain Anup Kumar on the Delhi-Goa flight and attempted to physically assault him.
A viral video captured the altercation, where Kataria was heard threatening to open the plane door if the flight did not proceed promptly. The flight, reportedly delayed by over 10 hours, became a flashpoint for passenger frustration.
IndiGo, which took pride in completing flights earlier than the arrival time, has been struggling to keep up in the current weather conditions. Despite being CAT IIIB-compliant which helps in landing in low visibility conditions with the help of radio signals and sometimes high-intensity lighting arrays, IndiGo is struggling to keep up, as are the other airline companies.
(With inputs from agencies)