IndiGo Flight Forced to Return to Mumbai Airport After Identifying Extra Passenger

An IndiGo flight scheduled from Mumbai to Varanasi encountered an unusual delay Tuesday morning when the crew discovered an overbooked passenger standing in the aircraft. The incident occurred just before takeoff as flight 6E 6543 was taxiing at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport.

The overbooked passenger was noticed around 7:50 am, prompting the crew to inform the pilot. As a result, the aircraft returned to the aerobridge, explained Sandeep Pandey, a passenger aboard the flight. Airlines often overbook flights to avoid empty seats due to last-minute cancellations.

Another passenger, Akhilesh Chaubey, described the situation, stating, “After returning to the bay, the airline offloaded the passenger. They then conducted a thorough check of the cabin baggage of all onboard before finally taking off, leading to a delay of about an hour.”

The aircraft eventually departed at 8:41 am, as confirmed by flight tracking website Flightradar24.

An IndiGo spokesperson addressed the incident, stating, “There was an error during the passenger boarding process of flight 6E 6543, where a standby passenger was mistakenly assigned a seat already reserved for a confirmed passenger. The error was corrected before departure by de-boarding the standby passenger, causing a slight delay. IndiGo is committed to strengthening operational processes and regrets any inconvenience to our customers.”

Amit Mishra, also a passenger on the flight, expressed frustration over the delay: “For a 7:50 am flight, passengers need to arrive by 6:30 am if they are not checking bags. Delays like these, caused by the airline’s oversight, should be addressed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.”

The DGCA, India’s aviation regulator, has been enforcing penalties on airlines for denying boarding to passengers with valid tickets. According to regulations established in 2016, no compensation is required if an alternate flight is arranged within one hour of the scheduled departure. However, if the alternative is provided within 24 hours, the airline must pay 200% of the booked one-way basic fare and fuel charge, up to a maximum of ₹10,000.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, hindustantimes.com