In India, flight delays attributed to factors like fog in New Delhi and congestion at Mumbai airport have led to simmering frustration among passengers. Recently, a flyer’s anger escalated to physical assault when a Delhi-Goa flight faced a 10-hour delay, resulting in a passenger slapping the captain.
Actor Richa Chadha revealed her own experience with delayed flights, citing two instances of 4-hour delays in the past three days on IndiGo flights. She speculated that factors such as fog in Delhi and an air show in Mumbai may contribute to the ongoing airline issues.
The actress took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share her ordeal. She posted, ‘On my 3rd flight in 3 days… day 1, @IndiGo6E delayed by over 4 hours. Day 2, @IndiGo6E delayed by 4 hours. But the only direct flights on some routes are often Indigo. Day 3, international flight, no problem.’
Richa Chadha expressed surprise that more passengers haven’t lost their temper given the high number of delays and cancellations. The actress further added, ‘On the 14th of Jan, there was an air show in Mumbai, because of which the runway was closed in the morning. And then fog/smog in North India – Delhi runway closed. Ripple effect? Flights delayed all over the country, staff overextended. I am surprised only one person got physically assaulted because tempers were running very high (I don’t condone violence).’
She emphasized the lesson learned from the IndiGo controversy, pointing out the lack of accountability in monopolies within the airline industry. She concluded, ‘The actress concluded the post with, ‘Lesson: Monopoly – whether airlines, airport ownership or leadership – creates lack of accountability. Common citizens suffer, with no recourse. Till we don’t recognise it, we will be at a disadvantage while paying through our noses. And if we don’t wake up, we deserve it 💋haina ? 🤷🏻♀️’
The actress urged recognition of this issue to avoid continued inconvenience for common citizens. Her post echoes the frustrations of many travelers grappling with flight disruptions in India.
This incident follows a trend of celebrities sharing their airport nightmares, as seen with actor Radhika Apte recounting an ordeal where passengers were locked inside an aerobridge after a flight delay. The rising instances of flight disruptions raise concerns about accountability and the overall passenger experience in the country.