The passenger, who physically assaulted the captain of a Delhi-Goa IndiGo flight, is likely to be put on 'no-fly' list, sources from the airline privy to the matter, told India Today on Monday.
IndiGo has formed an internal committee to address the incident. The action of 'no-fly' list is under consideration due to the unruly behaviour of the passenger, identified as Sahil Kataria.
The incident came to light after a video went viral on social media showing the passenger running up to the captain of the IndiGo flight and slapping him. The captain was making an announcement regarding delays when the man punched him. A flight attendant standing beside the captain came to his rescue and shielded him lest there were more assaults as chaos erupted inside the cabin.
The flight attendant was heard in the video screaming, "Sir, aap aisa nahin karsakte. (Sir, you cannot do this)."
The passenger was deboarded after the incident and handed over to central security forces. A First Information Report (FIR) was lodged in the matter based on the complaint by the captain of the Delhi-Goa IndiGo flight. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
The Delhi-Goa IndiGo 6E2175 flight was delayed for several hours due to thick fog that has plagued North India over the past few days. However, the passengers were not informed about the reason behind the delay, India Today has learnt.
IndiGo has been in the midst of a myriad of complaints online, with passengers pointing out cancellations, inordinate delays, and not meeting the expected standards. Several people have been taking to X to post their complaints.
On Sunday (January 14), a social media user, Kaushal Kumbhat, threatened to sue IndiGo for "gross negligence, mental harassment and apathy" after his son’s Delhi-Istanbul flight was delayed for several hours before being cancelled. He said that the flight was to take off at 6:10 am on Sunday, but the boarding happened around 6:35 before being cancelled after five hours.
Flight operations have generally been hit over the past few days due to harsh weather in Delhi and other parts of North India amid severe fog, which has reduced visibility to near zero.
