- Passenger Abhishek Chaudhry alleged crew misconduct on Air India flight from Bangkok to Delhi
- Chaudhry and a French passenger reported rude behavior and threats from cabin crew
- Pilot issued warning to Chaudhry for disturbing other passengers during flight
An incident on an international Air India flight has raised serious questions about passenger rights, with a passenger alleging misconduct by the crew after he asked for a non-vegetarian meal that he had pre-ordered.
Abhishek Chaudhry was flying with his cousin from Bangkok to Delhi on January 19. In a video that he recorded on board the flight, he accused the crew of misbehaving with him and a foreigner seated next to him.
The crew threatened him, and the pilot issued a formal warning to him, he said.
Narrating his ordeal in Chaudhry's video, a French passenger accused the cabin staff of being rude with him, which made him feel like a "dog."
"When I asked for my non-veg meal, instead of saying, 'sorry sir, we don't have any meal,' they asked me for my ticket. The chief of staff spoke very tough to me. I felt like a dog. And I'm an Air India customer; tomorrow, I will not be able to get any more (flights) from Air India," he said.
When Chaudhry told the cabin crew she couldn't speak to him in this manner, he was asked to keep quiet. Minutes later, when he asked the crew for a non-vegetarian meal that he had pre-ordered for his cousin, she asked for his ticket as well.
"I said, ma'am, the ticket that I had booked, I had selected everything. I have selected a vegetarian meal for myself and a non-vegetarian meal for my cousin. But, when she insisted, I downloaded it from my email and showed it to her," Chaudhry said.
She then asked her junior to take a screenshot and started blaming him that he had returned the meal. Chaudhry then asked for the flight logbook to register a complaint. But the crew refused to have any further conversation. Naming cabin crew Meenakshi Chaturvedi, he alleged that she and other staff handled the incident "unprofessionally and rudely."
"I am getting this treatment. Is Air India flying me for free? First, they disrespected foreigners. Then they disrespected me. My 22-year-old cousin didn't get food on the whole flight. For him, it's a first experience that someone can talk so rudely," he said.
Meanwhile, other passengers started blaming him for siding with a foreigner, and he asserted that the issue was never about racism.
"They started talking on a different level. That I am supporting foreigners and that they don't respect us in their own country. There is no issue of racism here. The issue is about conduct. The issue is that I was not spoken to with respect. Neither was the foreigner. The foreigner knew a little Hindi, and he said, 'mai kutta nahi hu' (I'm not a dog)," said Chaudhry.
Chaudhry said he was eventually handed a warning letter by pilot Tushar Singh stating that his conduct disturbed other passengers. After landing, he alleged that the crew threatened him and violated privacy laws. They also scuffled to check his phone by force, he claimed.
Sharing the video, a user said that using a code of conduct warning against a legitimate complainant sets a dangerous precedent, and urged attention from authorities.
Air India said it was aware of the video and that it is investigating the matter.
"We are currently investigating the matter to ascertain the allegations made in the video. Necessary measures will be taken depending upon the outcome of the investigation. Air India deeply regrets the inconvenience caused and remains committed to prioritising the safety and comfort of all passengers and the crew," a spokesperson added.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has also reached out to the passenger and sought details of his journey and the incident, said sources.
