IndiGo apologizes after para-athlete accuses crew of misbehavior

New Delhi: Indigo Airlines on Saturday issued an apology after para-athlete Suvarna Raj accused the airline crew of ‘misbehavior’ during a flight. The airline reaffirmed its commitment to inclusivity and pledged to address the matter expeditiously and transparently.

“We reaffirm our commitment to being an inclusive airline and are dedicated to promptly addressing this matter. We are in contact with Suvarna Raj and are thoroughly investigating the matter,” the airline said in a statement. It added, “We are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of customer experience and apologize for the inconvenience caused to Suvarna Raj.”

Suvarna, who has represented the country in global events, alleged that IndiGo crew members misbehaved with her while flying from New Delhi to Chennai.

He alleged that despite his request to be provided with a personal wheelchair at the door of the plane, the staff did not respond.

Suwarna had booked seat number 39D (aisle) in the flight to Chennai on Friday. He said, “Airlines are facing bad reputation due to such incidents again and again.

Whenever I fly, I make sure to request a personal wheelchair from the crew members at the plane door.

Speaking to ANI on Saturday, the para-athlete said, “I had done it a thousand times before. However, on several occasions, I could not find a wheelchair at the plane door.” Why? Whenever I asked for my wheelchair at the plane door, the crew would say, ‘Yes madam’. However, there were no wheelchairs in the cabin except one,” she said.

He further claimed that the personal wheelchair, which was worth Rs 3 lakh, was damaged by the airline crew.

“My wheelchair was damaged. It cost me Rs 3 lakh. IndiGo should compensate the damage caused to my wheelchair and I want it to be restored to its original condition. If airlines have wheelchairs available to disabled patients, If there is a policy to conduct such incidents, then why did they break the protocol again and again? The government should take strict action and investigate why such incidents are happening so frequently,” Suvarna said.

Suvarna won two medals at the Asian Para Games in Korea in 2014 while also winning two medals at the Thailand Para Table Tennis Open in 2013.