India's aviation regulator has sought a response from Air India, hours after Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan criticised the airline's service quality, alleging he was assigned a “broken and sunken seat” on flight AI436 from Bhopal to Delhi.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has officially sought a clarification from Air India on the issue on Saturday, and has asked them to suggest appropriate corrective measures, according to an aviation ministry official.
The DGCA acted after the Ministry of Civil Aviation asked the regulator to conduct an investigation. The ministry also engaged directly with Air India's CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson, urging the airline to prioritise the matter. “We have advised [Air India's] CEO to handle the matter on top priority,” according to a MoCA spokesperson.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took to social media to slam the services of the Tata Group-operated airline, while calling the service upgrade under the conglomerate a "misconception".
"My impression was that Air India's service would have improved after Tata took over the management, but it turned out to be my misconception," the minister said. "I don't care about discomfort in sitting but it is unethical to make passengers sit on bad and uncomfortable seats after charging them the full amount. Isn't this cheating the passengers?"
"Air India deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to Hon'ble Union Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan ji on his flight from Bhopal to Delhi," said an Air India spokesperson. "This does not reflect the standard of service we strive to provide to our guests, and we are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter to ensure that such incidents are not repeated."
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
