Man claims IndiGo cancelled flight post-boarding, left 180 passengers stranded

India Today

10 hours ago

An Indian-origin passenger based in Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), called out IndiGo Airlines after a distressing flight experience.In a now-viral post on LinkedIn, Vinay Mall detailed how his IndiGo flight 6E 1424 from Sharjah to Lucknow on June 23 was cancelled after boarding, leaving over 180 passengers, including children and elderly individuals, stranded at the airport for more than nine hours without assistance.advertisement'Flight Cancelled After Boarding - A Shocking Experience with IndiGo Airlines (6E 1424, SHJ-LKO, 23 June),' the post read.
Vinay said, 'On June 23, I boarded an IndiGo flight 6E 1424 from Sharjah to Lucknow, along with \~180 other passengers. What followed was deeply disappointing and raised serious concerns about passenger rights, airline accountability, and safety protocols.'Vinay alleged that after passengers had boarded and remained seated for nearly an hour, the pilot suddenly announced that the flight was cancelled due to crew duty hours exceeding limits.'There was no clarity, no guidance – just an announcement, and then nothing,' he said.Vinay further added, 'The air hostess calmly asked everyone to deboard 'one by one', after which the entire crew formed a queue and walked out, leaving passengers clueless inside the terminal. These are the professionals we are told to trust during emergencies?'advertisementAccording to Vinay, there was no IndiGo staff available to help the passengers. '180+ passengers were left stranded inside the airport terminal for over 9.5 hours - from 1:55 AM to the next scheduled flight at 11:30 AM and later again delayed by 1 hour to 12:30 PM,' he said.'Families with children, elderly passengers, and women were left with no support–not even a place to rest,' he wrote. 'Parents tried to lay their children on the floor due to a lack of sleeping space, only to be told by airport security that 'sleeping on the floor is not allowed'.'He also said that passengers who made noise were selectively offered access to lounge facilities (only around 8 people out of 180). His own family, including a 2.5-year-old and an 8-year-old, received no assistance, not even water.'Others were quietly taken aside and offered comfort but not in groups, as if this was something to be hidden,' Vinay claimed.Vinay raised serious questions in his post: 'Why are flights being scheduled without aligning crew shift limits? Is it acceptable for trained crew to simply walk away while passengers, including children and the elderly, fend for themselves? Where is the passenger assistance team? The customer service? The basic human decency?'advertisement'This is not about inconvenience. This is about how passengers - human beings - were treated as cargo, without dignity or compassion.'He concluded, 'We understand operational issues. But this was a complete systems failure. Sharing this publicly not out of anger, but in hope that no other family, especially not one with small children, goes through this again.'Vinay also attached a picture of what appeared to be his son sleeping uncomfortably on a chair inside the terminal.Take a look at the post here:IndiGo did respond to the post in the comments section. Initially, the airline said: 'Mr Mall, we sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to you and your family. Please be assured that it is always our endeavour to ensure our customers reach their destinations on time, however, your recent flight was delayed due to operational reasons. We request you to kindly allow us some time to look into the matter further. Additionally, we'd appreciate it if you could share a convenient time for us to connect with you to address this. \~Team IndiGo'Later, IndiGo added an update: 'Mr Mall, thank you for taking the time to meet our team at the airport. At IndiGo, we understand that extended wait times can be challenging, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. We would like to apprise you that the delay was due to operational reasons, and our team made every effort to assist you throughout. Refreshments were also provided to ease the wait. We truly value your patience and understanding, and we look forward to welcoming you onboard again for a much smoother journey. \~Team IndiGo'advertisementVinay, however, did not seem satisfied. He replied: 'Instead of offering misleading statements and excuses, it would have been more honest to admit that the so-called educated and professional team was completely unable to manage the situation. In reality, they seemed far more skilled at avoiding responsibility, hiding from passengers, and evading any meaningful interaction. The posted pictures display the gestures of assistance provided consistently throughout.'In the comments section of the post, several social media users raised concerns around airline accountability and the urgent need for better passenger support during flight disruptions.- EndsMust Watch