New Delhi [India], February 22: Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu responded swiftly to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s complaint regarding a broken seat on an Air India flight. Naidu instructed Air India to take immediate action and personally contacted Chouhan to address his concerns.
“We spoke to Air India immediately on this issue and instructed them to take necessary action. From our side, the DGCA will also look into the matter promptly. I have personally spoken to Shivraj ji as well,” Naidu said.
Chouhan had shared his frustration on social media about his uncomfortable experience on Air India flight AI436, traveling from Bhopal to Delhi. He tweeted that the seat, numbered 8C, was “sunk in” and uncomfortable, adding that he had asked Air India staff why such a seat was assigned to him despite being reported as defective. He was informed that the management was already aware of the seat’s condition but continued to sell tickets for it.
Chouhan also expressed disappointment that Air India’s service had not improved after Tata took over its management. “I don’t care about sitting discomfort, but it is unethical to make passengers sit on bad and uncomfortable seats after charging them the full amount. Isn’t this cheating the passengers?” he questioned.
He urged Air India to take corrective action to prevent such issues in the future. “Will the Air India management take steps to ensure that no passenger faces such inconvenience in the future, or will it continue to take advantage of the passengers’ compulsion to reach their destination early?”
In response, Air India apologized for the inconvenience, stating they were looking into the matter to prevent future occurrences. “Dear Sir, we apologise for the inconvenience caused. Please rest assured that we are looking into this matter carefully to prevent any such occurrences in the future. We would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you, kindly DM us a convenient time to connect,” Air India wrote on social media.
The incident also sparked a reaction from the Congress party, which criticized the government’s handling of issues in the aviation and railway sectors. On social media, Congress commented, “Passengers are troubled in trains, passengers are distressed on planes. People keep complaining and making videos, but there is no hearing. Now, since Shivraj ji has a problem, he is tweeting—maybe action will be taken on this.”
Targeting the BJP-led NDA government, Congress added, “But the situation is not going to improve, because any system is fixed from the top. And on top of that, there is no time to beat the drum of ‘sab changa si.’ People suffer.”