An IndiGo passenger lost it on the tarmac after an all-day delay, and wound up slapping the pilot. Video from inside the cabin shows a man in a yellow hoodie sprinting up the aisle, and after he valulted a galley cart, he slapped the co-pilot who was updating passengers on the status of their delay.
A flight attendant shouts, “You cannot do that!” in Hindi. From the cabin branding and the “17 years of connecting the nation” tagline that can be seen in the video it’s clearly IndiGo. And it appears to have occurred flight 2175 from Delhi to Goa. The video doesn’t appear to be new but is just now going viral.
Dense fog and air traffic congestion had paused departures numerous times. The original crew timed out, and they were replaced.
- Boarding started around 12:20 p.m. local time, after an hours-long delay in the terminal
- Passengers sat for two and a half hours waiting to be released by air traffic control
- Doors were closed for departure at 2:50 p.m.
- The flight’s further indefinite delay was announced by the co-pilot half an hour later
- A little over two hours after that the flight did depart.
The total delay approached ten hours, about half of which was spent on the aircraft prior to departure. Nearby passengers restrained the assailant. Police arrested the man, who was banned from the airline.
Bear in mind that India does not have anything similar to U.S. tarmac delay rules (3 hours domestic / 4 hours international issuing fines if passengers aren’t permitted to deplane). And, in fact, the aircraft’s door wasn’t closed more than that.
Assaulting a pilot is not going to make the flight leave faster. If anything it will delay things further (or lead to a cancellation). If you’re trapped on a plane, and prefer a jail cell, I suppose it’s one potential strategy.
When is slapping ‘appropriate’? I know PC answer is never… but… 10 hours delay… I’d at least slap myself for trusting Indigo.
Horrible writing. Please stop using AI or get an editor.
I totally understand.
@1990. I suspect a few posters on this blog would be happy to slap you 😉
@Thing 1 — For free? If you’re into it, some might pay good money to be slapped… in the right places. Others would pay to watch. Remember, we don’t kink-shame on here.
Like, fellas, don’t ‘yuck’ someone else’s ‘yum,’ if you know what I mean. Plenty of slap to reach, I mean, go around. See, we’re all just having fun here.
There is no excuse for assault and battery. That being said, the delay is inexcusable.
A grown man slapping…. pathetic. You also lost your man card, you sissy boy.
He was well within his rights. The *airline* is the one that should be jailed.
Time to restart the discussion about allowing pilots to physically toss pax who misbehave. Physically. From the aircraft. By the scruff of their miserable necks.
@Mantis — How about a Three Stooges Curly-style slap and ‘woop woop woop’ routine?
And Americans whine because they have to stand in a jetway an extra minute.
“I am having chest pains. I need to see a doctor.”
@Lighting1 — You know pairs nicely with all that whine… some cheese. Yum.
There is no excuse for slapping when a good roundhouse kick is what the pilot deserved. Passengers should just pull the emergency exit after 2 hours and airlines will stop this abusive behavior.
Is it even the pilot’s decision if they get to return and deplane? I wouldn’t want to slap the wrong person. In any case, slapping with a lawsuit might be more appropriate.
HOW CAN HE SLAP?
jail would be better than the living hell trapped on a jet…..
the problem with major delays is (as stated in Cool hand Luke) “what we have here is a failure to communicate” most passengers would accept and cooperate with long delays if only they were appropriately informed and given their legal choices to deplane, reschedule, continue etc.
I have been at the gate and on the aircraft where delays were explained and updated and also where staff was woefully delinquent the results are predictably different particularly from frequent fliers
that said violence is NEVER the answer
I shall advise fellow Indians and Indian Americans to be concerned about extraordinary delays with Indigo! Truly shaneful!