IndiGo Airlines, India’s low-cost carrier, is facing harsh criticism following a video circulated on social media showing cockroaches in the area where food is stored on one of its aircraft.
The 20-second video shows at least two cockroaches crawling in the unsanitary area, with it unclear whether the plane was on the ground or in flight.
Tarun Shukla, an Indian aviation journalist who shared the video on his X account, wrote: “Cockroaches and in the food area of a plane (anywhere for that matter) are just truly awful. One hopes IndiGo takes a hard look at its fleet and checks how did this even happen given that it normally flies relatively new Airbus A320s.”
In response, the Indian airline said in a statement: “We are aware of the video circulating on social media showing an unclean corner in one of our aircraft. Our team took immediate steps to address the issue on the aircraft. Additionally, as a precautionary measure, we fumigated and sanitized all our aircraft immediately. We maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene to ensure a safe and hassle-free experience. We regret any inconvenience caused to IndiGo passengers.”
However, many passengers were not impressed by the response. “A very arrogant, reckless and irresponsible response from IndiGo,” wrote one user on X network. “The aviation authority should investigate the incident and take strong action against the company.” Others mocked the airline’s hygiene standards, labeling the response as “a joke.”
