Screengrab of video showing passengers on the tarmac after the IndiGo flight was delayed for 12 hours.
Credit: X/@AnchitSyal
Fliers turned the Mumbai airport tarmac into a dining spot after an IndiGo flight slated to head from Goa to Delhi was diverted due to poor weather conditions.
IndiGo's flight 6E2195 was slated to take off at around 2:25 pm on Sunday but poor weather forced a diversion and after a considerable delay the flight only took off at 2:39 am on Monday.
The airline kept food packets for the passengers in the bus that would take them to Terminal 1 at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, where the flight landed at 11:40 pm.
The passengers out of frustration, refused to board the bus, took out food packets and sat near the parked aircraft to eat dinner.
Many passengers demanded an immediate take-off for Delhi.
An official at the airport told the Hindustan Times that the authorities had to call in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel who cordoned them off.
A passenger posted videos from the airport on X tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, and Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The passenger, Anchit Syal wrote, "Flight number 6E2195 from goa to Delhi has been delayed for 20 hrs and now they have landed at Mumbai Airport instead of Delhi. Totally unsafe for women traveller's no courtesy in indigo staff."
A spokesperson from the Mumbai airport addressed the incident and told HT that the passengers were already restless due to the prior delay at the Goa airport.
"The airport operators in coordination with CISF’s quick response team cordoned off the passengers into a safety zone as they refused to get into the airline coach and proceed to the terminal building. The passengers were kept under strict watch of airline authorities and security personnel until further actions were taken."
An IndiGo spokesperson told HT, “We are aware of the incident involving IndiGo flight 6E2195 from Goa to Delhi on January 14. The flight was diverted to Mumbai due to low visibility conditions in Delhi. We sincerely apologise to our customers and are currently looking into the incident. We will take necessary steps to avoid any such instances in the future.”
Civil Aviation Minister Scindia reportedly held a meeting with all ministry officials after the clip went viral and show-cause notices were issued by MoCA's Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to IndiGo and Mumbai Airport in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
MoCA has asked for replies by today itself. If replies are not received in the given time then enforcement action including financial penalty will be initiated.
The publication also reported that the Mumbai airport reported major disruptions with the flights arriving from Delhi on Monday. All the 33 flights that arrived in the city till 10:45 pm were delayed for anywhere between 20 minutes and three hours.
IndiGo's image of punctuality has been dented in recent times, with one frustrated individual aboard the Delhi-Goa flight assaulting the pilot who announced a delay. Actor Radhika Apte also shared her ordeal where IndiGo had allowed passengers on the aerobridge and then locked them there with 'no water' and 'no loo'.