IndiGo said it is very cognizant of the needs of its customers and it is its "constant endeavour" to provide a "courteous and hassle-free experience" to its passengers.
The image has been used for representational purposes only
A woman passenger has claimed that she was threatened by an IndiGo pilot with jail after she asked for a wheelchair for her mother in the plane at Bengaluru airport, with Union Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri saying the airline has "off-rostered" the pilot.
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Supriya Unni Nair, who had asked for a wheelchair for her 75-year-old mother, after landing in Bengaluru on Monday night, alleged in multiple tweets that the pilot had misbehaved and threatened her with the jail.
Puri said on Twitter, "I requested my office to contact IndiGo as soon as I saw the tweet by Ms Supriya Unni Nair about the pilot's behaviour with her & her 75-year-old mother in need of wheelchair assistance."
"The airline has informed Ministry of Civil Aviation that the pilot has been off-rostered pending full enquiry," he added. Reacting to the matter, IndiGo told PTI that the issue is under internal review and necessary action will be taken.
Narrating the incident on Twitter, Nair said when the Chennai-Bengaluru flight landed at the airport at 9.15 pm on Monday, she asked the flight crew to provide a wheelchair for her mother, as it was requested at the time of booking the ticket.
The cabin crew, according to Nair, said that they do not have access to the wheelchair. Nair said she showed the ticket where it was printed that she has availed wheelchair services and at that moment, one of the pilots named "Jayakrishna" starting yelling at her and her mother for annoying him and the plane's crew.
Nair, who is an independent journalist, claimed that when the wheelchair was then brought to take her mother at the Bengaluru airport, "Jayakrishna" prevented the 75-year-old to be taken from the plane. She stated that the pilot then threatened to get them detained and make them spend a night in jail.
"I'll get my CEO to make sure you spend a night in jail, 'we' will teach you some manners," the pilot said, according to Nair. When Nair said that the pilot cannot issue such threats, "Jayakrishna" reportedly said, "Yes, I will threaten you. I am a captain. You can't touch us."
Nair claimed that the pilot said she has paid "piddly" Rs 2,000 and she does not own the aircraft.
"I will make sure you are barred from the skies," the pilot said, according to Nair. She said that the pilot also threatened her of dire consequences if she wrote about this episode on social media.
When the two passengers were leaving the arrival lounge of Bengaluru airport at night, the pilot said there will be an FIR filed against Nair and her mother. Nair said her mother was shaking by the time they reached home. She said that her mother is afraid that the pilot would be carrying out his threats against them.
According to a source privy to the development, the pilot's name is "Jayakrishnan" and the airline is investigating the matter. When asked about specific queries regarding the alleged misbehaviour of "Jayakrishnan" on Monday night, IndiGo told PTI, "We are aware of the complaint raised by a passenger on flight 6E 806 flying from Chennai to Bangalore last night. The matter is under internal review and necessary action will be taken."
IndiGo said it is very cognizant of the needs of its customers and it is its "constant endeavour" to provide a "courteous and hassle-free experience" to its passengers. "Our customer relations team has been in touch with the customer to ensure that her concern is understood well, and to help avoid any such experiences in the future," the airline explained.
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