The video of the argument was shared on Twitter by one of the passengers.
A video of an argument between a passenger and one of the crew members of IndiGo airline has gone viral on social media. According to the person who shot the clip and posted it on Twitter, the incident took place on the airline's Istanbul-Delhi flight over food. Reacting to it, the airline said that the passenger showed bad behaviour onboard and insulted one of the airhostesses, after which the crew lead had to intervene. In a statement, the airline said that they are looking into the incident and assured that "customers' comfort has always been our top priority".
In his December 19 tweet, user Er. Gurpreet Singh Hans said he "unfortunately" booked a ticket on the IndiGo flight.
"Every international long distance (we can manage from Dubai to India) flight has a food choices video in front of seats but can't. Some people can manage but some can't, they need a choice of food," Mr Hans said in his first tweet.
"I see in front of my eyes how a man behaves with girl staff and how a lady behaves with staff," he added.
Watch the video:
The accompanying video shows a heated argument between the airhostess and a passenger (who is not visible). The crew member accuses the passenger of talking to the staff harshly, which made one of them cry.
The airhostess tells the man, "You are pointing finger at me and yelling at me. My crew is crying because of you. Please try to understand, there is a cart and counted meals are uplifted (on the plane). We can only serve what your boarding..."
But before she could complete, the passenger shoots back, "Why are you yelling?" "Because you are yelling on us," the airhostess replies, raising her voice.
Her colleague intervenes and tries to calm them down but the passenger and the airhostess keep firing shots at each other.
"I am sorry but you cannot talk to the crew like that. I am peacefully listening to you with all due respect but you have to respect the crew as well," she is seen telling the passenger.
The man asks, "Where have I disrespected the crew?" to which the airhostess again highlights the finger pointing. "Shut up," the man says. "You shut up," replies the airhostess adding that she is an employee of the company and he cannot talk to her like that.
The man then says she is a servant, to which she again clarifies she is an employee. "I am not your servant."
The fight then abruptly ends and the airhostess' colleague escorts her to the back of the plane.
IndiGo, meanwhile, said in a statement: "We are aware of the incident that took place on flight 6E 12 from Istanbul to Delhi on December 16, 2022. The issue was related to meals chosen by certain passengers traveling via a codeshare connection. IndiGo is cognizant of the needs of its customers and it is our constant endeavor to provide a courteous and hassle-free experience to our customers. We are looking into the incident and would like to assure that customers' comfort has always been our top priority. We are committed to providing the best experience at all times."
The airline added that the passenger asked for a sandwich and the crew told him they will check if the food item is available on the flight. But the man started shouting at the airhostess, due to which she started crying.
However, the video has divided the internet. While some users called IndiGo crew hard working, others said they have observed a growing trend of crew members being impatient.
"I've observed a growing trend of @IndiGo6E crew being impatient on my three recent journeys, even while answering basic queries or handling irritation after waiting in T3 Delhi madness. Customers need to be polite, but service providers also need to be sensitive & patient!" commented one user.
"These air hostesses work so hard always smiling and help with open hearted. If she is yelling on the passenger that's means something bigger must have happened," said another.
