‘I Thought Air India Had Improved Under Tata, But…’: Shivraj Chouhan Slams Airline Over Broken Seat
The Union Minister expressed disappointment over the airline's management as he slammed it after getting a broken seat on his flight to Delhi from Bhopal.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday slammed Air India after he was allotted a broken and sunken seat during his flight from Bhopal to Delhi. He expressed disappointment that the airline had not improved its management and how his expectations turned out to be misconception.
Chouhan described the practice as unethical as he criticised the airline for charging passengers full fare and then alloting them defective seats for their journey.
Air India issued an apology for the inconvenience after Chouhan shared his experience on X.
In a post on X, Chouhan had stated he was travelling from Bhopal to Delhi to attend a few events, for which he had booked an Air India flight. He said his seat was was broken and sunk in when he sat on it. "Sitting was uncomfortable," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said.
"Today I had to come from Bhopal to Delhi, inaugurate the Kisan Mela in Pusa, hold a meeting of the Natural Farming Mission in Kurukshetra and discuss with the honourable representatives of the Kisan Organisation in Chandigarh. I had booked a ticket on Air India flight number AI436, I was allotted seat number 8C. I went and sat on the seat, the seat was broken and sunk in. It was uncomfortable to sit," he wrote on X.
When he confronted the crew over the allotment of a defective seat, he was told that the management had been apprised about the condition of the seat which shouldn't be sold to passengers.
"Isn't this cheating the passengers?" Chouhan asked.
आज मुझे भोपाल से दिल्ली आना था, पूसा में किसान मेले का उद्घाटन, कुरुक्षेत्र में प्राकृतिक खेती मिशन की बैठक और चंडीगढ़ में किसान संगठन के माननीय प्रतिनिधियों से चर्चा करनी है।
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 22, 2025
मैंने एयर इंडिया की फ्लाइट क्रमांक AI436 में टिकिट करवाया था, मुझे सीट क्रमांक 8C आवंटित हुई। मैं जाकर…
Chouhan claimed that several seats on the flight were in a similar condition. He said that fellow passengers insisted that he exchange seats with them and take a better one, but he did not want to trouble them for his own comfort.
"So, I decided to complete my journey on the same seat, "he stated.
Chouhan further asked whether Air India management would take steps to ensure that no passenger faces such discomfort in the future, or whether is will "continue to exploit" passengers' urgency to reach their destination.
Air India Apologises To Shivraj Chouhan
Taking note of Chouhan's tweet, the airline issued an apology to the Union Minister and assured that it will prevent any such occurrences in the future. It also requested him to give them an opportunity to speak with him.
Air India replied on X, "Dear Sir, we apologize for the inconvenience caused. Please be rest assured that we are looking into this matter carefully to prevent any such occurrences in the future. We would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you, kindly DM us a convenient time to connect."
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