New Delhi, 22 Feb: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently expressed dissatisfaction with Air India’s services after being assigned a broken and uncomfortable seat during his journey from Bhopal to Delhi. Taking to social media platform X, he highlighted his experience and questioned the airline’s service quality.
Uncomfortable Journey on Flight AI436
Chouhan was traveling to Delhi to attend multiple engagements, including the inauguration of the Kisan Mela in Pusa, a Natural Farming Mission meeting in Kurukshetra, and discussions with farmer organizations in Chandigarh. He had booked Air India flight AI436, where he was allocated seat 8C.
Upon reaching his seat, Chouhan found it broken and sunk inward, making it extremely uncomfortable to sit. When he complained to the flight staff, they informed him that the airline management was already aware of the issue and that the seat should not have been made available for booking. He further claimed that several other seats were also in poor condition, raising concerns over Air India’s service standards.
Refused to Change Seat
Despite fellow passengers requesting him to switch to a better seat, Chouhan chose to remain in the assigned seat, stating that he did not want to inconvenience other travelers.
Questions Tata Group’s Management
In his post, Chouhan expressed disappointment with Air India’s service under Tata Group’s management, saying he had expected significant improvements after the airline’s acquisition. He also questioned why passengers are charged full fare but provided with substandard seating and services.
“Is it fair to make passengers sit on broken seats when they have paid the full ticket price?” he asked, demanding that Air India take corrective measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Air India Responds with Apology
Following Chouhan’s social media complaint, Air India promptly issued an apology, stating:
“Honorable Sir, we sincerely regret the inconvenience caused. Please rest assured that we are conducting a thorough investigation to ensure such incidents do not recur.”
The airline also requested further communication via Direct Message (DM) to resolve the issue more effectively.
With increasing passenger complaints about service quality, this incident has once again put Air India under scrutiny, raising concerns over its post-privatization operational efficiency.
