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Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday slammed Tata Group-owned Air India for allotting him a "broken" seat on a flight from Bhopal to Delhi. The minister alleged that when he questioned the airline staff why the seat allotted to him was broken, they told him that the management was informed about the condition of the seat earlier and that the ticket should not be sold.
The airline apologised for the "inconvenience" caused to Mr Chouhan and assured that a thorough probe will be conducted to ensure such incidents are not repeated. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu also took note of his cabinet colleague's complaint, and said he has directed the airline to take necessary action.
In a post on X, Mr Chouhan said he was travelling to the national capital to inaugurate the "Kisan Mela", and also to hold a meeting of the Natural Farming Mission in Kurukshetra, besides meeting the protesting farmers in Chandigarh.
"I had booked a ticket on Air India flight number AI436, I was allotted seat number 8C. When I went and sat on the seat, I found it was broken and sunk. It was uncomfortable to sit," he wrote in Hindi.
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।
मैंने एयर इंडिया की फ्लाइट क्रमांक AI436 में टिकिट करवाया था, मुझे सीट क्रमांक 8C आवंटित हुई। मैं जाकर…
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 22, 2025
Not just one seat, but several more were found in a similar condition,, Mr Chouhan, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, alleged.
"My co-passengers requested me to change my seat and sit on a better seat but why should I trouble another friend for my comfort? So, I decided that I would complete my journey on the same seat," he said.
A flight journey from Bhopal to Delhi usually takes about one-and-a-half-hours.
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"My impression was that Air India's service would have improved after the Tata Group took over the management, but it turned out to be my misconception," he said, referring to the take over of the national carrier in 2022.
He also said he "doesn't care" about facing discomfort while sitting but it was "unethical" to make passengers sit on bad and uncomfortable seats after charging them the full amount.
"Isn't this cheating the passengers," Mr Chouhan asked.
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"Will the Air India management take steps to ensure that no passenger faces such inconvenience in future or will it continue to take advantage of the passengers' compulsion to reach their destination early," he wrote.
Air India, in response to his post, initially said it was looking into the matter "carefully to prevent any such occurrences in the future".
In a statement later, the airline said: "Air India deeply regrets the inconvenience cause... 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."
The Civil Aviation Ministry also stepped in, and said Mr Naidu has spoken to Mr Chouhan in this regard. "We spoke to Air India immediately on this issue and instructed them to take necessary action. From our side, DGCA will also be looking into details of matter promptly. And I have personally spoken to Shivraj ji also," it said in a statement.
"This reflects the civil aviation minister's commitment to ensuring passenger concerns are addressed without delay and regulatory authorities remain vigilant in overseeing airline operations," it added.
The Congress used the minister's criticism to take a dig at the Centre over issues in the aviation and railway sectors.
Quoting Mr Chouhan's tweet, the party wrote in its official X handle: "Passengers are troubled in trains, passengers are distressed on planes. People keep complaining and keep making videos, but there is no action. Now, since Shivraj ji has faced a problem and is tweeting -- maybe action will be taken on this."