Torn and broken seats in airline, how Indigo India’s most unsafe airline bringing shame to indian aviation industry?
IndiGo received a poor rating from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, Road, Shipping and Aviation due to, among other things, its poor customer service, rude employees, and higher prices during the holidays.
In the panel’s most recent report, which was delivered to Rajya Sabha on Thursday, the panel’s chairman, TMC MP Derek O’ Brienm, stated that while some private carriers in the nation are operating poorly, IndiGo is by far the worst. Additionally, he claimed that IndiGo is the worst airline for passengers and that Air India has the best bag policy.
“Our committee has concluded that IndiGo is the least customer-friendly airline. This was agreed upon by all 30 members. However, IndiGo has not responded despite numerous complaints. O’Brienm added that some airlines charged 8–10 times more than usual during the holidays because of the way they treat their customers and how much they charge for just one or two kilogrammes of extra weight in air luggage. The Ministry of Civil Aviation is under the jurisdiction of this parliamentary committee.
“The airline is extremely rigid. Even if you weigh one or two kilogrammes more than the allowed limit, IndiGo charges you. The committee is taking the situation very seriously because this has not been received well, according to O’Brien.
Contrarily, IndiGo stated in a statement that it takes customer complaints and feedback very seriously and regularly trains its staff on how to handle situations and provide the best possible customer service.
Despite the fact that airlines are charging more, the panel believes that their fees shouldn’t exceed 50% of the base fare and that passengers should receive a refund for taxes and fuel surcharges. O’Brienm added that other private airlines should increase their luggage restrictions and that Air India, a government-run airline, has the best luggage policy.
IndiGo “abused passengers” and disregarded the laws: An airline’s DGCA refused to allow a child with special needs to board the aircraft.
There was a big uproar when an IndiGo flight from Ranchi turned away a passenger with special needs. The airline mistreated passengers and violated DGCA regulations, according to the fact-finding committee’s findings later on.
Based on what the committee discovered, the DGCA stated in a statement that “the findings of the committee indicate, on the face of it, that the Indigo staff handled passengers in a way that didn’t follow the rules.”
The company has ten days to provide justifications for why “appropriate enforcement action should not be taken against them.” “Appropriate enforcement action should be taken against them” if they don’t. The airline will also have a chance to present its argument in person.
The DGCA assembled a three-person committee last Monday to investigate what transpired when IndiGo refused to allow a wheelchair-bound adolescent with special needs who was travelling with his parents on a May 7 flight from Ranchi to Hyderabad on board. This raised a great deal of ire.
The passenger, according to the airline, was “panicking” and posed a risk to the safety of the flight. The family was able to board another IndiGo flight the following day.
After Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia tweeted that passengers shouldn’t be treated that way and that he would personally look into what happened, the fact-finding team was formed.
On the other hand, because it was a matter of flight safety, IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta supported his airline manager and asserted, “We made the best decision we could in a tough situation.”
The DGCA is examining the Civil Aviation Requirements on “Carriage by Air- Persons with Disability and Persons with Reduced Mobility.” These regulations state that if a person with a disability is denied boarding, the airline must provide a written justification.
When a plane lands at the intended airport, airlines must assist passengers in getting from the terminal to the aircraft and from the aircraft to the terminal exit. People with disabilities must board and exit the aircraft in separate areas, and special care must be taken to move them and their luggage through the airport quickly.
According to witnesses, the passenger in question appeared frazzled following the lengthy drive to the airport, as well as during check-in and the security inspection. He also appeared uneasy when he and his family arrived at the boarding gate.
There were some issues with Indigo flights.
Two IndiGo flights were about to crash, which would have killed 426 people, but a man intervened.
Because AAI and IndiGo airlines failed to report a mid-air scare on January 7 that potentially could have killed hundreds of people, the DGCA is looking into both of them. Two IndiGo flights headed for Kolkata and Bhubaneshwar nearly crashed at 3,000 feet because of a small error made by the ground crew.
When IndiGo flights 6E-455 and 6E-246, bound for Kolkata and Bhubaneshwar, took off simultaneously from parallel runways, a vigilant approach radar controller closely monitoring the airspace above Bengaluru Airport prevented a serious collision.
The mid-air collision was avoided when Lokendra Singh, a 42-year-old radar controller, directed the plane in a different direction. The airport’s north and south runways cannot be used at the same time due to the risk of collisions between departing aircraft. Prior to this, there was a concern about the parallel runway operation.
According to reports, flights reportedly took off from the north runway in the morning and landed on the south runway. The second one was then decided to close by the shift in charge. However, due to the volume of air traffic in the south tower, the person did not receive the information.
The two aircraft were then informed that they could take off simultaneously from the intersecting runways. This indicated that the two aircraft were headed in the same general direction. Fortunately, a radar operator noticed this and stopped right away to warn the plane.
The incident raises concerns about air traffic controller errors once more, as well as the fact that neither the AAI nor IndiGo informed the DGCA of them. However, the incident was discovered during routine surveillance.
On the flight to Kolkata, there were 176 passengers and six crew members. On the flight to Bhubaneswar, there were 238 passengers plus 6 crew members for a total of 426 passengers.
Broken and torn seats
On Friday, Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma shared a photo of a torn seatback pocket from an IndiGo flight.
“First ever main torn seat seen in this airline,” tweeted Vijay Shekhar Sharma with a picture of the main torn seat-back pocket. The Paytm CEO checked in at the airport in Delhi.
After seeing the entrepreneur’s tweet, many people identified the airline as IndiGo. One user posted a photo of a damaged seat from a flight.
A dental implant was allegedly found in a passenger’s meal on a recent British Airways flight from London to Dubai.
Last week, a video that went viral showed airline employees haphazardly tossing boxes onto a trailer. The airline then asserted that customer luggage had also not been handled improperly and that the boxes visible in the video contained non-fragile cargo and also were packaged to “endure fast manoeuvres.”
Many IndiGo passengers have complained about the airline’s decision to stop labelling luggage containing breakable items with the main “Fragile” tag over the past few months. Because “we value all of our main passengers’ bags and aslo take the utmost care during its transport,” IndiGo claims that the fragile tag is no longer used.
Paytm must use its sizable liquidity for buybacks rather than the money from its IPO. Sources claim that no current company is allowed to buy back shares with the proceeds of an IPO.
According to sources who also had added that the main company will use its strong liquidity instead, One 97 Communications Ltd, which owns Paytm, the largest provider of current digital payments in India, cannot use the funds from its sizable IPO to repurchase its own shares.
Paytm’s most recent earnings report indicates that it has Rs 9,182 crore in liquid assets. The company’s board of directors will also meet on December 13 to go over a share buyback proposal. “ Given the company’s current liquidity and also financial position, “the management believes that a buyback may also be advantageous for our shareholders,” it had said in an exchange filing on Thursday.
Following a main closely watched IPO in the main latter part of last year, the stock is down 60% in 2022 due to worries about the company’s profitability, competition, costs associated with employee stock options, and marketing.
Sources claim that no current company is allowed to buy back shares with the proceeds of an IPO. Paytm raised Rs 18,300 crore through its IPO in November of last year.
Although the company had stated last month that it would aslo become free cash flow positive in the ensuing 12 to 18 months, sources indicate the company is close to cash flow generation, which also will be used for business expansion.
According to sources, no company is permitted to do this because of regulations, despite rumours that the company is using IPO funds for the buyback. The proceeds from the IPO may only be used for the main specific purpose for which they were raised, which is also monitored.
In a recently concluded meeting with analysts, Paytm’s top management emphasised that the company is close to generating cash flow, which will be used in the future for its continued expansion.
Sources claim that Paytm will almost certainly use its pre-IPO cash reserves for the buyback and that it will soon start using the cash flow it generates for expansion. The amount of the buyback and other details have not yet been disclosed by the company, but this is likely to change following the board meeting.
According to rumours, the buyback will be less expensive than the IPO price. Furthermore, any negotiated buyback agreements or side deals are expressly prohibited by law.
A company typically starts a buyback programme when it has idle surplus cash flow or when its shares are offered at a discount to intrinsic value, providing a great opportunity to retire capital.
The buyback programme for Paytm complies with the requirements. The business reiterated that it would turn a profit by the end of September 2023 in its second quarter results.
After the post went live, many people recognised the airline as IndiGo. One person responded, “Indigo is rapidly degrading.” Ignore that and order mouthwatering treats that are never available from the Hello 6E magazine, someone else said in response.
The worst airline experience I’ve ever had in India was @IndiGo6E, the actor Rana Daggubati previously wrote on Twitter. Not knowing the flight times Not discovered lost luggage The staff has no idea how much worse it could be! Rana Daggubati published a tweet. IndiGo sent the actor an apology letter after that.
Additionally, a few days ago, a video surfaced of airline employees carelessly tossing boxes from an aeroplane to a parked trailer.
In June, the actress Pooja Hegde called an IndiGo employee “rude” and “arrogant.” On Twitter, she expressed her sadness over how she had been treated.
With a market share of 56.7% as of October, IndiGo is the largest domestic airline in India, according to data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). With 9.2%, 9.1%, and 7.6%, Vistara, Air India, and AirAsia India are in second place.
IndiGo Airlines Made The News 6 Times For The Wrong Reasons –
Here are five examples of when flying on an IndiGo flight went horribly wrong.
Although airlines may provide us with many benefits, when you are 33,000 feet in the air, customer service is all you really need. This is one of the grounds for customer judgement. The worst thing an airline can do is to give in to passenger demands.
Unfortunately, there have been a number of incidents of poor behaviour and unprofessional customer service, which caused Indigo Airlines to make headlines and go viral on social media.
1. According to reports, a full emergency was declared on an IndiGo Airbus A320 Neo Plane travelling from Pune to Jaipur on Thursday morning, January 16, 2020. Later, the plane was diverted to Mumbai Airport. According to IndiGo, the pilot “followed the laid standard operating procedures” after noticing an engine vibration message.
According to IndiGo, the plane has landed in Mumbai and is undergoing inspection. All travellers were transferred to a different flight that went to Jaipur. An IndiGo flight operating from Pune to Jaipur, flight 6E-6129 (A320), was diverted to Mumbai this morning, according to a statement released by IndiGo. The pilot noticed an engine vibration message while flying and followed the established standard operating procedures. The plane touched down in Mumbai. At Mumbai, the aircraft is currently being inspected. On another aircraft that flew on to Jaipur, all passengers were accommodated.
2. A passenger claimed that an IndiGo pilot threatened her after she requested a wheelchair for her diabetic 75-year-old mother.
This most recent incident, which sparked outrage on social media, was also related to the pilot’s improper conduct on an IndiGo flight. Supriya Unni Nair, a woman, claimed on Twitter that the pilot had threatened and harassed her because she had requested a wheelchair for her mother.
3. Due to low oil pressure in one of the engines, a passenger on an IndiGo flight from Goa carrying 183 passengers and three infants was required to make an emergency landing at the Dabolim Airport.
4. Indian badminton player PV Sindhu talked about her experience travelling on an IndiGo flight and expressed her displeasure with the rudeness of the crew.
PV Sindhu talked about her encounter with an IndiGo Airline employee who mistreated her in relation to her luggage. She posted a screenshot of her experience on Twitter along with a detailed account of her experience.
5. When actors were kicked off IndiGo flights for misbehaviour. The captain of the Kerala Strikers cricket team allegedly ordered several Malayalam actors to leave an IndiGo plane because of alleged misbehaviour. According to reports, the actors were travelling to Hyderabad to play in the Celebrity Cricket League.
6. The Baahubali actor Rana Daggubati recently had a negative experience with the IndiGo airlines and vented on social media. According to the actor’s post, they not only didn’t know the flight’s details and timings, but they also lost his luggage. Following the post, the airlines used the same platform to apologise and state that they are making every effort to find the celebrity’s luggage.
Rana Daggubati was upset after taking an IndiGo flight for a recent trip, following Pooja Hegde’s criticism of the airlines earlier this year for a terrifying experience. The actor tweeted, “India’s worst airline experience ever @IndiGo6E!! “, to describe his ordeal. Lack of knowledge of flight times Lost luggage not found… Staff is clueless… Can it get any worse?
IndiGo replied to his message and expressed regret for the trouble, saying, “Sir, we understand the inconvenience when the bag doesn’t arrive with you. Although we apologise for the inconvenience, rest assured that our team is working hard to deliver your luggage to you as soon as possible. One of the travellers took to the platform to discuss how the airlines handled the luggage while the posts received a significant amount of feedback from social media users who complained about their experiences with the airlines.
A user who recently flew with the airlines shared several videos showing how the staff handled the passengers’ luggage improperly. After the main post, a visibly irate Rana Daggubati shared a number of tweets in which he continued to make fun of the airline ad campaigns. He wrote, “Note with this sale flights might not land or take off on anytime schedule!!” alongside a picture of one of the advertising campaigns. – Your luggage won’t be something they know about.
edited and proofread by nikita sharma