IndiGo Flight Returns To Mumbai Airport After Crew Spots 'Extra' Passenger Standing In Plane

The incident occurred around 7:50 am as flight 6E 6543 was taxiing for departure, after the flight crew identified an overbooked passenger just moments before take-off.

Airlines commonly overbook flights to minimize the chance of departing with vacant seats. ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi: An IndiGo flight bound from Mumbai to Varanasi faced an unusual disruption on Tuesday when it was compelled to return to the aerobridge at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), after the flight crew identified an overbooked passenger just moments before take-off.

The incident occurred around 7:50 am as flight 6E 6543 was taxiing for departure. A crew member noticed a male passenger standing at the rear end of the aircraft, prompting the pilot to return to the gate for resolution, as per a report of Hindustan Times.

“It was then that the crew alerted the pilot and the flight had to return to the terminal,” Sandeep Pandey, one of the passengers, said.

Airlines typically overbook flights as a measure to reduce the likelihood of departing with empty seats. However, in a recent incident on an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Varanasi, this practice led to an unexpected turn of events.

Passenger Akhilesh Chaubey, who was traveling to Varanasi for work, recounted that the flight had to return to the gate after the crew discovered an overbooked passenger onboard.

Following the offloading of the extra passenger, the airline conducted a thorough check of all cabin baggage before resuming take-off, causing a delay of approximately an hour. According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, the aircraft took off at 8.41am.

An airline spokesperson said, “There was an error during the passenger boarding process of 6E 6543 from Mumbai to Varanasi, wherein a standby passenger was allotted a seat reserved for a confirmed passenger.

The error was noticed prior to the departure of the aircraft, and the standby passenger was de-boarded. This led to a slight delay in the departure of the aircraft. IndiGo will take all measures to strengthen its operational processes and regrets the inconvenience caused to customers".

Amit Mishra, another passenger aboard the same flight, shared that they arrived in Varanasi around 10:30 am. He emphasised the inconvenience caused by the delay, stating that to catch a 7:50 am flight, passengers typically need to be at the airport by 6:30 am, especially without check-in baggage.

DGCA Penalising Airlines For Denying Boarding

Mishra raised concerns about potential ulterior motives behind the airline's actions, suggesting the need for intervention by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to address such delays caused by what he termed as "illegal motives" of the airline.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has been actively penalising airlines for denying boarding to passengers even with valid tickets.
As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's civil aviation regulations from 2016, airlines are not obligated to provide compensation to passengers if an alternative flight is arranged within an hour of the scheduled departure.

However, if the airline arranges an alternative flight within 24 hours of denying boarding, they are required to pay 200% of the booked one-way basic fare, along with the airline fuel charge, capped at a maximum of ₹10,000.