Indigo Pilot Suspended For Threatening Passenger Who Requested Wheelchair Assistance For 75-Year-Old Mother

The passenger, Supriya Unni Nair, had shared her ordeal on Twitter in a series of tweets. "@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," she tweeted.

According to Nair, despite requesting a wheelchair for her mother at the time of booking, the staff on board refused to give her a wheelchair. It was then that the pilot came barging out and yelled at her for "pressing the assistance button and annoying him and his crew."

The pilot also yelled at her for taking the flight attendant's name. He then threatened her and prevented Nair and her mom from leaving the flight even after a wheelchair was provided by the airport staff.

"He prevents the wheelchair people from taking my mom out of the aircraft threatening us that he will ensure we are detained and spend a night in jail," Nair wrote in the tweet.

Nair further quoted the pilot as saying, "Who do you think I am? I'll get my CEO to make sure you spend a night in jail, "we" will teach you some manners."

The pilot also threatened to bar her from flying. "You have paid piddly 2000 rupees you dont own the aircraft he adds. I will make sure you are barred from the skies he yells my mom and me," she quoted the pilot as saying.

The threats continued, even after Nair and her mom deboarded the flight, in the bus to the lounge and at the airport lounge as well. Nair also wrote a complaint at the airport before leaving. However, she added that the Bengaluru airport staff, the CISF security and Indigo ground staff were helpful and tried to protect her and her mother.

Nair's tweets soon went viral and also caught the attention of Union Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, who, in a tweet, said that he requested his office to contact the airline as soon as he saw the tweet about the pilot's behaviour towards the passenger and her aged mother.

"The airline has informed @MoCA_GoI that the pilot has been off-rostered pending full enquiry," the Minister said.

Meanwhile, the airline said that the matter was under internal review. "IndiGo is very cognizant of the needs of its customers and it is our constant endeavour to provide a courteous and hassle-free experience to our passengers," Indigo said in a tweet.