Indigo responds to allegations of offloading passengers in Bengaluru over low occupancy

The incident took place at the Kempegowda International Airport at around 9.30 pm on Sunday.

IndiGo responded to claims made by eight passengers of a Amritsar-Chennai flight who were allegedly offloaded at Bengaluru airport due to low occupancy. According to the passengers, IndiGo was unwilling to fly to the destination with only eight on board.

A report published in the Times of India stated that the incident took place at the Kempegowda International Airport at around 9.30 pm on Sunday after an IndiGo flight took off from Amritsar and was going to Chennai via Bengaluru.

“Six passengers, including I, were seated in the plane on the Bengaluru tarmac when I received a call on my mobile phone from an IndiGo ground crew member asking me to get off the flight as he was waiting for me inside the airport with my boarding pass for another flight, ready to depart to Chennai,” a passenger told the outlet.

The other passengers also received similar phone calls and got off the plane, as per the report. The flyers were also promised by IndiGo that they will be put on an alternative flight that was ready to depart. Some of the passengers also took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their woes.

@IndiGo6E you left seven passengers at Bengaluru airport after forcefully deplaned us from our origin flight, which delayed for two hours at Amritsar. Your employees are putting us in pathetic plan

— Narasimhan (@tenarasimhan) November 19, 2023

With no other flight and option in Chennai, all the flyers were forced to stay overnight in Bengaluru and fly out on Monday.

8 passengers travelling from Amritsar to Chennai in @IndiGo6E number 6E 478 were forcefully asked to get down from the aircraft at Bengaluru airport by airlines staffs.

— Timo (@timo_tina) November 19, 2023

The incident was confirmed to Times of India by IndiGo sources at the Bengaluru airport. The sources quoted said that two passengers were lodged at a hotel 13 km from the airport and others decided to stay overnight at the airport’s lounge.

“All were accommodated on flights on Monday morning and flown to Chennai,” an airline official mentioned.

“On November 19, 2023 flight 6E 478 was operating from Amritsar to Chennai via Bengaluru with eight transit passengers on board. Due to the delay of the incoming aircraft from Amritsar, these passengers were unable to board the onward flight to Chennai at the Bengaluru Airport,” a statement by IndiGo read.

“IndiGo ground staff made every possible effort to help passengers make the connection, but due to lack of time, they were unable to board the aircraft. IndiGo staff offered the passengers overnight accommodation and booking on the next available flight but certain passengers chose to stay at the airport lounge. We deeply apologise for the inconvenience caused to the passengers,” it added.

The passengers, however, are looking to take action for the inconvenience faced by them. As per a flyer, an IndiGo staffer did not offer any assistance.

“IndiGo’s assistant manager at the airport, Lloyd Pinto, came, but he too acted cold, with no sympathy for even the elderly passengers who were stranded. Finally, after admitting it was their fault, they had the audacity to deny us an airport hotel, saying we were not eligible,” another passenger quoted.