Former AirAsia CFO Says IndiGo Flight Left Without Him, Airline Claims "He Failed To Reach Gate in Time"

Former AirAsia India ex-CFO Vijay Gopalan recently slammed IndiGo after his flight from Tiruchirappalli to Chennai departed without him while he was waiting in the airport lounge. He took to Instagram to share his frustration, accusing the airline's ground staff of being "horribly rude and arrogant" and lying to him. Gopalan shared that he was set to fly from Tiruchirappalli to Chennai at 2:55 pm, having completed web check-in. He arrived at the airport around 1 pm and headed to the lounge to catch up on work. Meanwhile, the flight's departure time kept getting pushed back - first to 3:10 pm, then 3:15 pm, and later 3:25 pm, with the updates showing on the display board

Gopalan claimed he got a call from airline staff around 3:05 pm asking about his whereabouts. He checked the board, which still showed "security", and questioned how the flight could leave without boarding being announced. He alleged no boarding announcements were made in the lounge, leading him to believe the flight was further delayed beyond its updated 3:25 pm departure. Gopalan described the ground staff's behavior as "unbelievably arrogant," claiming they blamed him for the missed flight by suggesting he prioritised "good food" in the lounge over boarding.

Due to the incident, he missed a scheduled conference in Chennai. 

Watch the video here:

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A post shared by Vijay Gopalan (@vijay.gopalan)

In a follow-up video, Gopalan shared that when he escalated the issue, a senior airline representative told him that as a frequent flyer, he should've known gates close 25 minutes pre-departure. Gopalan and a colleague were eventually rebooked on a later flight after paying a rescheduling fee.

IndiGo's Response

IndiGo stated that an interim issue with the airport-managed Flight Information Display System (FIDS) may have affected the status updates. However, the airline maintained that their team followed standard protocols and made the necessary final boarding announcements. IndiGo also highlighted that Gopalan failed to reach the gate in time.

"Dear Mr. Gopalan,  Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. We truly understand how concerning it can be to miss a flight and the inconvenience this may have caused you. As checked, an interim issue impacted the Flight Information Display System, the management of which falls within the purview of the airport operator. Meanwhile, our team proceeded in accordance with the standard boarding protocol and made the requisite final boarding announcement.

However, we understand that you were unable to reach the gate in time, following which our airport team assisted you with an alternate flight to ensure you could continue your journey. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you aboard again for a smoother and more pleasant experience," IndiGo's statement read.