At one point, the air hostess folded her hands and asked the fliers to sit down.
- Flight 6E 5028 from Mumbai to Varanasi was delayed over two hours due to a technical issue
- 176 passengers were on board when IndiGo conducted safety checks before take-off
- Passengers protested and recorded videos questioning the delay and safety of the aircraft
Chaotic scenes played out onboard an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Varanasi last night after checks on the aircraft delayed take-off by two hours. In a video that has since circulated on social media, fliers are asking when the flight will take off as the cabin crew requests them to remain seated. At one point, an air hostess also folds her hands and requests a passenger to take his seat as he protests the delay.
The video captures the anxiety around air travel in the aftermath of the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad last month that left 260 people dead. With air travel prices witnessing significant hikes post-Covid, safety concerns are now triggering passengers.
The Varanasi flight, NDTV has learnt, was delayed due to a technical issue that was identified just before take-off. As the ground teams worked on the aircraft, other flights got the runway space. Once checked, the IndiGo flight carrying 176 passengers took off from Mumbai.
According to the plane tracker flightradar24, the Mumbai-Varanasi flight, 6E 5028, took off at 9.53 pm, over two hours after its scheduled departure, and landed in Varanasi at 11.40 pm. Its scheduled time of arrival was 9.45 pm.
The viral video shows cabin crew requesting passengers to sit patiently as the ground staff complete the checks. An air hostess approaches the man shooting the video and says, "Excuse me, Sir, video is not allowed, please." The passengers protest this. "Your flight is not taking off for the past one hour, sounds are coming and you are telling us that shooting a video is not allowed," a flier is heard saying. "Does our life have no value?" asks another.
The air hostess then folds her hands and says, "All the tests on the aircraft have been completed." This angers the passengers more. "You are running the tests after making the passengers board the plane? What if something happens in the air? Who will take that risk?" says a passenger.
Several passengers are seen recording videos and questioning the cabin crew, "You guys expect us to cooperate with you. You guys should also cooperate with us. Arrange an alternate solution," a passenger is heard saying.
The woman pilot of the aircraft is seen asking the agitated passengers to take their seats. "Let's talk, but please sit down. We will not close the door till you are satisfied, but please sit down. Let us clarify all the doubts."
Another video shows the pilot, Captain Urvashi, assuring the passengers that they had delayed take-off so that every system is checked thoroughly. "We are ready for take-off in 10 minutes. If you do not resort to chaos, I guarantee you we will all reach Varanasi." At this point, some of the passengers chant, "Har Har Mahadev" and the pilot joins in. Let's have a good flight and be positive. You have to trust me that if there was any issue, I would not fly this plane. The aircraft is fit to fly. Let us all reach Varanasi safely, happily, nicely. Please don't worry," says the pilot.
