In an unfortunate incident, an Indigo pilot was suspended for three months, after he threatened and intimidated a senior citizen passenger, who is also physically handicapped.
What exactly happened here, and how did Indigo react to this incident?
Indigo Pilot Threatens Handicapped Passenger
On January 13th, Supriya Unni Nair and her 75-year-old physically challenged mother boarded flight 6E 806 from Chennai to Bengaluru.
Supriya Unni Nair is a freelance journalist.
After the flight landed, she asked for a wheelchair, since her mother is physically challenged. It was a legitimate request, and the airlines are mandated to provide one to the needy passengers.
However, what happened after that stunned Supriya, and every Indigo customer.
The pilot, Jayakrishna started harassing Supriya and her mother, and threatened them with dire consequences, for asking for a wheelchair.
The pilot even threatened to file FIR against them and said that the airport security guards will arrest them. For asking a wheelchair.
Infact, even when they deboarded the aircraft and were on their way out, the pilot confronted them inside the airport and demanded an apology.
Clearly shaken, and scared, Supriya somehow reached home and then tweeted her ordeal. It seems that while all this was happening, none of the airlines’ crew members came forward to help them.
.@IndiGo6E Your captain on 6E 806 from Chennai to Bangalore on January 13 Jayakrishna harrased, threatened and prevented me and my 75-year old diabetic mom from disembarking the flight and threatened to arrest us because we asked for wheelchair assistance.
— Sun??Tweets ???????/ ???????? (@SupriyaUnniNair) January 13, 2020
However, airport staff and other Indigo employees tried to intervene and resolve the issue.
Indigo Takes Action Against The Pilot
After learning about the incident, DGCA or The Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered the immediate suspension of the pilot. For the next three months, the pilot won’t be allowed to fly any plane.
In a statement, DGCA said, “After examining the reply of the PIC to the show cause notice it was established that the PIC’s attitude towards the wheelchair-bound senior citizen passenger was intimidating, threatening and lacked compassion,”
Even Union Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri learned about the incident and asked DGCA to take action.
DGCA said that the pilot clearly exhibited a lack of ability to handle a flight, and has been suspended for three months.
We will keep you updated, as more details come in.
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