During a recent trip to Guwahati, a visually handicapped traveler claimed that IndiGo employees harassed him and his mother at the Mumbai airport.
In a thorough LinkedIn post, Turab Chimthanawala documented the June 14 incident and accused the airline of showing a lack of empathy and not providing the promised aid.
Chimthanawala claimed that although he had informed IndiGo beforehand about his situation and asked for help, the assistance he received at the airport was insufficient and unprofessional.
“Instead of a trained staffer, an untrained one showed up — unsure of how to even navigate entry gates. My mother had to guide him to the boarding area. There, staff whispered, gestured, and mocked my request for help despite my mother being present. One falsely claimed assistance only goes till security and suggested I follow a wheelchair passenger. This isn’t just wrong — it’s illegal. Indian law entitles blind passengers to support right up to the aircraft door," he wrote.
“Staff continued to smirk, treating me like an inconvenience. We decided to manage on our own," Chimthanawala said.
He also recalled bad Indigo airline experiences in the past.
“This isn’t an isolated incident. On past IndiGo flights, I’ve experienced apathy and even mockery. Once, I was made to sit on a seat with no cushion," he wrote.
“How long must we suffer in silence? Should blind passengers have to ask for basic dignity?" he questioned in his post.
IndiGo Reacts
In response, IndiGo apologized for the incident:
“We sincerely regret the experience shared by Mr. Chimthanawala," the airline stated.
Additionally, it stated that IndiGo's Director of Customer Experience, Pratik Arjun Sen, had contacted the company and started taking corrective action, which included raising awareness among ground crew at the Mumbai airport.
Social media discussions around accessibility and how Indian airlines handle passengers with disabilities have been rekindled by Chimthanawala's article.