No AC on Indigo Flight, Passengers Asked to Wipe Seats With Tissues, Says Congress Leader; Airline Responds

Punjab Congress leader Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Saturday shared “one of the most horrifying experiences” while travelling in a Jaipur-bound Indigo Airlines flight from Chandigarh. According to the Punjab Congress Committee (PCC) president, the Indigo aircraft 6E7261 operating from Chandigarh to Jaipur took off with a faulty air conditioning system, leaving the passengers “suffering” throughout the journey on Saturday.

“We were made to wait for about 10-15 minutes in the queue in the scorching sun and when we entered the Plane, to our shock, the ACs weren’t working and the flight took off without the ACs on!” the Congress leader tweeted.

He also posted a video which showed passengers using cardboard and safety booklets as handheld fans.

Warring further alleged that “no one addressed the concern during the flight” and passengers were distributed tissue papers to wipe off their seats.

“Right from the take-off to landing, the ACs were off and all the passengers were made to ‘Suffer’ throughout the journey. No one addressed the serious concern during the flight. In fact, the air hostess ‘generously’ distributed tissue papers to the passengers to wipe off their sweat,” he added.

The Congress leader further accused Indigo Airlines of putting the “health and comfort of the passengers” at stake by ignoring a “major technical issue” only to “mince money”.

“Most of the passengers including women and children were restless and agitated, which can be seen clearly in the video. Helpless passengers were fanning themselves with papers to keep cool. It was clearly a major technical issue but the authorities concerned just wanted to mince money that is why the health and comfort of the passengers was put at stake,” he said.

Warring urged the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to take strict action against Indigo Airlines and the concerned authorities over the incident.

Indigo Airlines Responds to Incident

In a press statement issued on Sunday, Indigo Airlines expressed regret over the incident and issued an apology for the “inconvenience” faced by the passengers.

“We deeply apologize for the inconvenience our customers experienced during your recent travel with us. We take our customers’ comfort and satisfaction seriously and regret the inconvenience on IndiGo flight 6E7261 from Chandigarh to Jaipur,” the statement said.

“Upon landing in Jaipur, the aircraft was held for inspection of the air-conditioning operation. Aircraft was released for subsequent flights after thorough inspections and corrections,” the statement added.