IndiGo fracas: Ranvir Shorey lashes out at airline, passengers 'picnic' on Mumbai airport tarmac

Bollywood actor Ranvir Shorey took to social media on Monday and expressed his frustration and disappointment at IndiGo Airlines after enduring a flight delay that lasted over 10 hours. Taking to 'X', Shorey shared the chain of events that unfolded, leading to delay in the departure of the scheduled flight (2.00 pm) from Delhi on Sunday.

Shorey and his group of eight passengers checked in two hours prior, only to be informed at the last moment that the flight was delayed by three hours due to bad weather, specifically fog.

"Our flight was scheduled for 2 p.m. All 8 of us checked in 2 hours prior as stipulated, and only then were we informed that the flight is 3 hours late due to bad weather (fog). We were not intimated prior to reaching the airport. Still, we did not complain, thinking there must have been a communication issue and were completely understanding, as we were aware that at this time of the year these things happen sometimes," his post read.

Despite understanding the weather-related challenges, Shorey and his companions became increasingly concerned as the flight's departure time continued to be pushed back.

The actor revealed that after being checked in for over three hours, they were told the flight, initially rescheduled for 5.00 pm, would now depart at 8.00 pm.

"The flight was scheduled for 5 p.m.. at 3 p.m., after being checked in at the airport for more than 3 hours, we were told that the flight will now depart another 3 hours later at 8 p.m! This seemed fishy to us, as the 'fog' should be clearing up, not getting worse as the day progresses," the post read.

"One of my friends looked up the Indigo website to check the routing of our aircraft. It very clearly said that the aircraft that was supposed to fly us was coming in from Kolkata, which had reported no fog issues, and had already arrived at Bangalore. When we confronted the Indigo staff with this information, he simply said that the website has not been updated properly, and gave us his 'personal guarantee' that the flight will take off at around 8 p.m." the post read.

As the time progressed, the flight time was adjusted multiple times, causing distress for Shorey. The actor emphasised the airline staff's failure to provide clear and accurate information, leading to panic and frustration among passengers.

The breaking point came when at 8.00 pm, they were informed that the flight would depart after 10.00 pm. Shorey, who had earlier been assured by a staff member that the flight would take off at 8.00 pm, found that the delay was due to the absence of a pilot.

The actor expressed his sense of helplessness as the situation unfolded and accused the airline of continuous lies and deceit.

"This was important for me as my child would be alone at home if I did not get back by around 10-10.30 p.m. At about 7 p.m., the flight time was changed to 9 p.m. I began to panic as this would leave me in a spot as a parent, but still did not complain and somehow managed the situation…. the new staff assigned to handle me tried the same, usual airline platitudes and lies to try to pacify me, and I told him not that it will not work with me anymore, as it is obvious that the delay is not due to fog! I appealed to his personal integrity as a human being instead of being a mouthpiece for the airline. Only after this he made a few calls and finally told us the real reason, which was that they did not have a pilot for the flight! He assured me that a pilot has now been assigned and the flight will take off by 10.30 p.m.," he wrote on 'X'.

Ultimately, the flight took off at around midnight, 10 hours after the initially scheduled departure time. Shorey concluded his social media post by announcing their intention to file a complaint against IndiGo for the trauma and inconvenience experienced during this prolonged delay. IndiGo Airlines is yet to respond to the post.

Meanwhile, passengers of an IndiGo Goa-Delhi flight, which was diverted to Mumbai, made the most of their unscheduled stop, holding a virtual "picnic" on the tarmac, sharing snacks and chit-chatting with each other, as per a video going viral on social media.

The incident occurred on Sunday after flight 6E2195, en route Goa to Delhi, was diverted to Mumbai due to operational issues attributed to low visibility conditions in the capital on Sunday.

The video, shared widely on social media platforms, depicts passengers sitting unfazed on the tarmac, some enjoying snacks and meals, while others engage in casual conversations.

In a statement, IndiGo confirmed the diversion of flight 6E2195 and acknowledged the inconvenience caused to passengers, citing low visibility conditions in Delhi as the primary reason.

"We are aware of the incident involving IndiGo flight 6E2195 from Goa to Delhi on January 14, 2024. The flight was diverted to Mumbai due to low visibility conditions in Delhi. We sincerely apologise to our customers and are currently looking into the incident. We will take necessary steps to avoid any such instances in the future," the statement read.