IndiGo Under Fire For Allegedly Tricking 6 Passengers Into Disembarking To Avoid Empty Flight

Six travelers aboard an IndiGo flight bound for Chennai found themselves unexpectedly disembarking at Bengaluru airport after what they claimed was the airline's reluctance to proceed with only six passengers onboard.

The incident occurred at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) around 9:30 pm on Sunday when IndiGo flight 6E478, originating from Amritsar and bound for Chennai via Bengaluru, landed, as reported by Times of India.

"While seated on the plane on the Bengaluru tarmac, I received a call from an IndiGo ground crew member asking me to disembark. They claimed my boarding pass for another Chennai-bound flight was ready," said one of the six passengers involved.

Similarly, the other five passengers received similar calls and subsequently exited the aircraft.

In essence, the passengers alleged that IndiGo assured them an alternate flight ready for departure, only to be misled as the airline purportedly did not want to fly with just six passengers.

With no available Chennai-bound flights that evening, all six were compelled to stay overnight in Bengaluru and travel the next day.

IndiGo's Response:

IndiGo acknowledged the incident, stating, "On November 19, 2023, flight 6E 478 had eight transit passengers from Amritsar to Chennai via Bengaluru. Due to the delay of the incoming aircraft from Amritsar, these passengers couldn't board the onward flight to Chennai at Bengaluru Airport."

The airline's ground staff purportedly attempted to assist the passengers in making their connection, but due to time constraints, they couldn't board. IndiGo arranged overnight accommodations and flights the next morning for the passengers, expressing regret for the inconvenience caused.

The affected passengers sought action against what they termed as "outright deception" by IndiGo personnel and demanded redressal for the inconvenience.

They confronted the IndiGo staffer responsible for their disembarkation, alleging that even IndiGo's assistant manager displayed indifference and declined assistance, despite acknowledging the error and refusing them airport accommodations.