Bhopal/Mumbai: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Saturday slammed Tata Group-owned Air India for allotting him a ‘broken and sunk’ seat, prompting his ministerial colleague K Rammohan Naidu to instruct the airline to take ‘necessary action’.
Separately, Air India apologised for the incident and ordered a “thorough probe” while the DGCA sought a report from the airline in the matter.
Describing the incident as an “unethical” practice wherein the airline charges passengers full fare and then makes them occupy defective seats, Chouhan, the Union Minister for Agriculture, in a post on X said he had boarded the Delhi-bound Air India flight AI436 from Bhopal for Delhi to inaugurate a farmers’ fair in Pusa, attend the Natural Farming Mission meeting in Kurukshetra, and hold discussions with representatives of the farmers’ organisation in Chandigarh.
“I was allotted seat number 8C. When I reached my seat and sat down, I found that it was broken and sunk. Sitting was uncomfortable,” the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister wrote on X.
आज मुझे भोपाल से दिल्ली आना था, पूसा में किसान मेले का उद्घाटन, कुरुक्षेत्र में प्राकृतिक खेती मिशन की बैठक और चंडीगढ़ में किसान संगठन के माननीय प्रतिनिधियों से चर्चा करनी है।
मैंने एयर इंडिया की फ्लाइट क्रमांक AI436 में टिकिट करवाया था, मुझे सीट क्रमांक 8C आवंटित हुई। मैं जाकर…
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 22, 2025
When he confronted the crew over the allotment of a defective seat, he was told that the management had been apprised about the condition of the seat, which shouldn’t be sold to passengers.
The Union Minister claimed several seats on the flight were in a similar condition.
“Fellow passengers insisted that I exchange seats with them and take a better one, but I didn’t want to trouble any of my friends for my own comfort. So, I decided to complete my journey on the same seat,” he stated.
Chouhan said he assumed Air India’s service would have improved after being taken over by the Tata management, but he was mistaken.
“I am not concerned about my discomfort, but charging passengers full fare and then making them sit on defective and uncomfortable seats is unethical.
“Isn’t this a form of deception towards passengers?” he asked.
Chouhan further asked whether Air India management would take steps to ensure that no passenger faces such discomfort in the future, “or will it continue to exploit passengers’ urgency to reach their destination?”
Civil Aviation Minister’s office in a statement said the minister has taken “swift action” following Chouhan’s post regarding Air India.
“We spoke to Air India immediately on this issue and instructed them to take necessary action. From our side, DGCA will also be looking into the details of the matter promptly. And I have personally spoken to Shivraj ji also,” Naidu said in a statement.
Meanwhile, a senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said that it has sought a report from Air India over the incident. However, it did not elaborate further.
After Chouhan shared his experience on X, Air India apologised for the “inconvenience” and ordered a “thorough” probe into the incident.
“Air India deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to Hon’ble Union Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan ji on his flight from Bhopal to Delhi. This does not reflect the standard of service we strive to provide to our guests, and we are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter to ensure that such incidents are not repeated,” an Air India Spokesperson said.
Also, taking note of Chouhan’s post, Air India replied on X, “Dear Sir, we apologize for the inconvenience caused. Please be 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.”
PTI
