- A co-pilot allegedly entered a lavatory occupied by a woman on an IndiGo flight before takeoff
- The woman reported feeling shocked and violated after the male crew member opened the locked door
- Flight attendants reportedly downplayed the incident and offered only apologies for the "inconvenience"
A Mumbai-based woman reported a disturbing incident on an IndiGo flight where a co-pilot allegedly barged into the lavatory while she was using it before takeoff. Rhea Chaterji, co-founder of the gold merchandise platform Safegold, shared her experience on LinkedIn, describing feeling "shocked and violated".
The entrepreneur revealed that she boarded a late-night flight on August 8 and used the forward lavatory, which was unlocked. She claimed that after locking the door, she heard a knock and responded to it. When there was another knock, she replied more loudly. However, before she could fully speak, the door was forcefully opened, and a male crew member, allegedly the co-pilot, looked at her while she was in a vulnerable state. He purportedly said "oh" and shut the door.
"I felt shocked & utterly violated. To make matters worse, the female flight attendants then tried to downplay the incident, saying they were sorry for the “inconvenience” and were sure “he hadn't seen anything”. I wanted to run as fast as I could away from that space. Instead, I had no choice but to return to my seat and spend the next 1.5 hours wishing I could be invisible. I felt such a deep sense of revulsion within my own body, and a complete feeling of being alone," Ms Chaterji wrote.
See the post here:
She further alleged that the crew downplayed her experience despite her repeated requests for space. She claimed that the Captain and First Officer were absent, and she was instructed to meet them inside the cockpit, which caused her significant anxiety due to her vulnerable situation. After landing, she reached out to IndiGo's leadership team.
"After somehow making it home, I sent an email immediately to the top leadership at Indigo, including their CEO. Sadly, Indigo's idea of making this right was a few calls repeating this was an inconvenience & an email paying lip service full of corporate jargon, and saying that the individual conveyed “profound remorse”. Not once was this remorse or regret conveyed directly," she added.
Ms Chaterji clarified that her post was not about seeking compensation but rather to raise awareness, especially among women and parents with young children, about the airline's handling of the incident.
IndiGo's Response
IndiGo apologised, stating the incident was an inadvertent mistake, and assured that the crew had been counselled and training reinforced.
"Ms Chaterji, we profoundly apologise once again for the experience you went through due to an inadvertent mistake by one of our crew. Please be assured that your feedback has been taken with utmost seriousness. At IndiGo, the safety, dignity, and comfort of our customers remain our highest priority. We assure you that the crew has been counselled and sensitised, and in cognisance of this matter, we are reinforcing training to ensure such incidents are never repeated. We remain available should you wish for any further redressal and are fully committed to restoring your trust in us," their reply read.
The apology issued by Indigo did not convince LinkedIn users, who expressed disappointment over the handling of the incident. Many users shared their own experiences, emphasising that privacy and dignity should not be treated as an "inconvenience." Some pointed out that aircraft lavatories have occupancy indicators, suggesting that the officer's actions were not accidental.
An IndiGo source has told NDTV that Ms Chaterji has asked for hefty compensation despite repeated apologies from the airline. This comes despite the passenger stating in her LinkedIn post that she was not looking for compensation in this matter.
