A video has surfaced online showing a passenger aboard an IndiGo flight punching the captain of the aircraft while he was making an announcement regarding delays.
The video, which has been shared widely on social media, has invited multiple responses by X users who called for action against the passenger. However, there were some who pointed out the frustration among passengers, considering IndiGo has been amid a pile of complaints over cancellations, unreasonable delays and not meeting the standards.
Police have received a complaint in the matter and an FIR has also been registered.
In the video, the captain can be seen making an announcement on delays. Suddenly, the passenger – wearing a yellow hoodie – runs up to the captain and slaps him on the face. A flight attendant standing beside the captain immediately comes to his rescue and stands in front of the captain, trying to address the situation. The passenger is then pulled behind by another man – wearing a sky blue hoodie – as commotion spreads inside the cabin.
“Sir, aap aisa nahin karsakte (Sir, you cannot do this),” the flight attendant, sheilding the captain, is heard saying in the viral video.
A passenger punched an Indigo capt in the aircraft as he was making delay announcement. The guy ran up from the last row and punched the new Capt who replaced the previous crew who crossed FDTL. Unbelievable ! @DGCAIndia @MoCA_GoI pic.twitter.com/SkdlpWbaDd
— Capt_Ck (@Capt_Ck) January 14, 2024
Many passengers can be heard justifying the passenger’s behaviour, blaming IndiGo for the delays.
The captain announced the delays after replacing the previous crew of the aircraft owing to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) regulations after several hours of delay. The viral video stated that the flight was “13 hours” delayed.
The FDTL are rules that aid in the well-being of pilots and flight attendants as they mandate sufficient rest periods thereby reducing fatigue. The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has jurisdiction to establish the FDTL norms.
This incident came amid a horde of complaints against the airline on X, with several incidents of delay and chaos. On Satutrday, actor Radhika Apte took to Instagram to share her harrowing experience with the airline, after she and her fellow passengers were locked at the aerobridge of the Mumbai airport for several hours. She said that the IndiGo staff were clueless and the passengers, including senior citizens and babies, were deprived of food and loo breaks.
Flight operations have been hit over the past few days due to harsh weather from thick fog across North and central India.