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IndiGo Pilot Assaulted By Passenger On Delhi-Goa Flight While Announcing Delays; Apologises For His Actions

Infuriated by hours of delay, a passenger punched an IndiGo pilot while he made announcements.

by Sanjana Shenoy
IndiGo Pilot Assaulted By Passenger On Delhi-Goa Flight While Announcing Delays; Apologises For His Actions

In an utterly shocking incident, an IndiGo pilot was assaulted by a passenger when he was making an announcement regarding delays. A video filmed by a passenger on the Delhi to Goa flight showed the shock on the faces of the cabin crew and passengers who howled, aghast by the unpleasant incident.

Frustrated With Delays, Passenger Assaults IndiGo Pilot

X user, @Capt_Ck took to the microblogging site to share a video of an incident that happened on the IndiGo flight (6E-2175) flying from Delhi to Goa. The original video was shared by Evgenia Belskaia, a Russian model on the flight  on Instagram. This flight was apparently delayed by over 10 hours due to fog. Due to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, a new pilot replaced the previous crew. Flight Duty Time Limitations is part of the new regulations imposed that caps the flight time and maximum flight duty period for flight operations. 
It’s capped to 8 hours of flight time and 10 hours of flight duty to ensure the pilot and crew get adequate rest. So, as the new IndiGo pilot made the delay announcement, a passenger identified as Sahil Kataria stormed from the last row right to the front of the aircraft. Furiously, the man in the yellow hoodie, punched the pilot as the crew and passengers looked shocked. A flight attendant standing near the pilot, almost in tears, shouts at him. “You can’t do this. Yeh aap nahin kar sakte hai”. To this, Sahil Kataria shouts, “Hum kitni der se wait kar rahe hai” ( We have been waiting for long).

Flyer Made To Deboard The Flight; Netizens Slam Him

Soon after this incident, the passenger was made to deboard and the aircraft and handed over to the authorities. The Delhi Police filed an FIR on receiving a complaint from IndiGo. Meanwhile, Netizens took to X to share their opinions about the untoward incident.@IshwarBagga called to arrest this man and put him on the no-fly list for his inability to control his anger when the flight faced delays.

@Vibhor1911 explains that both the airlines and the passenger (Sahil Kataria) were at equal fault. It was IndiGo’s fault for not correctly communicating the status of the flight and the delay. And the passenger’s fault for physically assaulting the pilot. @a_nekul felt the passenger was arrogant and that led to his downfall.

 

@abhinav_sh states that due to foggy weather conditions, many airlines save fuel by shutting down the AC. Making passengers wait for long in such conditions could lead to mental trauma. 
The passenger, Sahil Kataria in another video was seen apologising to the authorities for his misdemeanour. The video shows him being escorted out of the plane by authorities as he regretfully, with folded hands says, “Sorry Sir”.

First Published: January 15, 2024 11:17 AM