Vijay Gopalan, former CEO of AirAsia, slammed IndiGo for what he called “unbelievably arrogant” conduct after a flight departed without him, despite airport screens still showing it as in security.
In a series of Instagram videos, Gopalan said he was scheduled to fly from Tiruchirappalli International Airport to Chennai at 2:55 pm. He completed web check-in, arrived around 1 pm, and headed to the lounge to catch up on work. He claimed that the flight's departure time was repeatedly revised on the airport display, first to 3:10 pm, then to 3:15, and finally to 3:25 pm.
“I was looking at the board, it still said security. They hadn’t announced the boarding and therefore, why would I go and wait at the gate?” Gopalan said. He added that the lounge was just a “2-3 minute” walk from the boarding gate.
He said that he received a call from the airline staff at 3:05 pm asking for his location. “I immediately looked up the board. It still said security… I said, how can it leave because the boarding has not yet been announced?” he said.
Staff member to Gopalan, "We left it without you"
According to him, he was told upon reaching the gate that the final announcement had already been made, and the flight had just departed. “So the flight left us. It just left without me. And the ground staff were super rude,” Gopalan said.
He further alleged that a staff member told him, “Just because you wanted to eat good food, you cannot delay our flight, so we left it without you.”
Gopalan said in another video that an airline official told him frequent flyers are expected to know that gates close 25 minutes before departure. He countered, “I don’t even know when the departure is going to happen… you moved the flight from 2.55 to 3.10, 3.15, 3.25,” and added that faulty display updates made it appear the flight would be delayed.
He claimed that he was initially told to pay Rs 3,000 as a “minimal charge” to rebook his ticket, before lowering it to 1,800 after intervention by an airport manager.
Gopalan said that he, along with a colleague and another lounge passenger, was eventually put on a later flight, which resulted in missing a conference in Chennai.
IndiGo’s response
As the video gained traction on social media, IndiGo issued a response. “We truly understand how concerning it can be to miss a flight, and the inconvenience this may have caused you. As checked, an interim issue impacted the Flight Information Display System, the management of which falls within the purview of the airport operator. Meanwhile, our team proceeded in accordance with the standard boarding protocol and made the requisite final boarding announcement,” the airline wrote.
“However, we understand that you were unable to reach the gate in time, following which our airport team assisted you with an alternate flight to ensure you could continue your journey. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you onboard again for a smoother and more pleasant experience,” it added.
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