An IndiGo passenger and an air hostess were involved in a heated exchange over the choice of meals onboard a flight from Istanbul to Delhi. While Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken cognisance of the incident that happened on December 16, a video of it is now viral.
"My crew is crying because of you," the IndiGo air hostess is heard telling the passenger in the clip.
The passenger is also heard telling her, "You are a servant of a passenger", to which she responded, "I am an employee and not your servant… I am not your servant."
At one point, the passenger said "why are you yelling? Shut up" to the air hostess, who also asks the former to "shut up", according to the nearly one-minute-long clip that was apparently shot by a passenger.
Several social media users too have backed the cabin crew while urging flyers to be respectful of them.
Jet Airways CEO Sanjiv Kapoor also spoke out in favour of the cabin crew.
"As I had said earlier, crew are human too. It must have taken a lot to get her to breaking point," he tweeted. "Over the years I have seen crew slapped and abused on board flights, called 'servant' and worse. Hope she is fine despite the pressure she must be under."
According to IndiGo, the matter was related to meals chosen by certain passengers travelling via a codeshare connection.
A senior official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the regulator is looking into the incident and shall take appropriate action.
"We are aware of the incident that took place on flight 6E 12 from Istanbul to Delhi on December 16, 2022. The issue was related to meals chosen by certain passengers travelling via a codeshare connection.
The airline too issued a statement: "IndiGo is cognizant of the needs of its customers and it is our constant endeavour to provide a courteous and hassle-free experience to our customers. We are looking into the incident."
Codeshare allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers and provide seamless travel to destinations where it has no presence.
(With inputs from PTI)
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