A female business class passenger aboard an Air India flight bound for London was asked to disembark at Delhi airport following a dispute with cabin crew members earlier this week.
The incident occurred on flight AI 161 on March 5, involving a senior corporate executive, according to sources familiar with the matter.
In a statement, an Air India spokesperson explained that the decision to offload the passenger was made by the captain following an altercation with crew members prior to the scheduled departure.
“Subsequent to the offloading, flight AI 161 departed with a delay of approximately an hour. The passenger, who had compelling reasons for travel, was accommodated on a later flight after providing a written assurance,” the spokesperson stated.
Further details surrounding the incident were not immediately available.
According to data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Air India denied boarding to 894 passengers in January alone, with approximately Rs 98 lakh spent by the airline on facilitation and compensation.