IndiGo Pilot provoked passenger who hit him, claims co-passenger
New Delhi: A passenger was arrested for assaulting a pilot of an IndiGo plane on Monday during an announcement about a take-off delay at Delhi airport.
Another passenger on the same flight alleged that the co-pilot Anup Kumar was responsible for provoking the incident.
In an interview with India Today TV, a fellow passenger of IndiGo flight 6E-2175, traveling from Delhi to Goa, claimed that despite a delay of more than 12 hours, the co-pilot was shifting blame to the passengers.
"Despite staying inside the aircraft for over 12 hours, the co-pilot was alleging passengers were queuing up with questions, causing more delay for ground staff in coordination," the passenger said while sharing the ordeal, the report said.
A video of the incident, which has gone viral on social media, shows the accused clad in a yellow jacket rushing towards a co-pilot and slapping him in the face.
A passenger punched an Indigo capt in the aircraft as he was making delay announcement. The guy ran up from the last row and punched the new Capt who replaced the previous crew who crossed FDTL. Unbelievable ! @DGCAIndia @MoCA_GoI pic.twitter.com/SkdlpWbaDd
— Capt_Ck (@Capt_Ck) January 14, 2024
The accused Sahil Kataria attacked the pilot during an announcement inside the aircraft.
Anup Kumar, the co-captain, had replaced the previous crew due to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms after several hours of delay, reported NDTV.
Following the scuffle, Kataria was immediately deboarded and turned over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
The airline, however, stated that the incident is being forwarded to the independent internal committee for suitable action, including the potential inclusion of the accused passenger on the 'no-fly list' in accordance with regulatory guidelines.
As per information from the flight tracking website flightradar24, the flight eventually departed from Delhi at 6 pm, encountering a delay of over 10 hours.
Co-pilot Anup Kumar lodged a complaint against the passenger with the Delhi Police, leading to the registration of an FIR in the case.
Subsequently, the passenger was sent to a police station and arrested.
He was later released on bail.
The incident took place amid substantial disruptions at the Delhi airport, where as many as 110 flights encountered delays and 79 flights were cancelled on the day, as reported by the flight tracking website flightradar24.
The flights were delayed as much as 50 minutes, adding to the mounting frustration among passengers already dealing with extensive flight disturbances.
