Date: February 25, 2025
Air India Faces Backlash as Union Minister Gets a ‘Broken’ Seat
Union Minister Slams Air India for Poor Seating Arrangements
Union Agriculture Minister and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed his displeasure over Air India’s seating arrangements, highlighting concerns about passenger comfort and airline negligence. His criticism has raised questions about Air India service quality, especially after its acquisition by the Tata Group.
Minister’s Frustration Over a ‘Broken’ Seat
Chouhan’s dissatisfaction became public when he took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his experience. He detailed his hectic schedule for the day, which included traveling from Bhopal to Delhi, inaugurating the Kisan Mela in Pusa, holding a Natural Farming Mission meeting in Kurukshetra, and discussing with representatives of the Kisan Organisation in Chandigarh.
However, his journey on Air India flight AI436 turned unpleasant as he was allotted seat 8C, which was broken and sunken in, making it extremely uncomfortable to sit.
“I went and sat on the seat, and it was broken. It was uncomfortable to sit,” Chouhan wrote on X.
Airline Staff Knew About Faulty Seats
The minister questioned Air India’s staff about why such a damaged seat was allotted to him. Shockingly, they admitted that the management was already informed, and such seats should not have been assigned to passengers.
“There is not just one seat, but many more. My co-passengers requested me to change my seat, but I chose to complete my journey on the same seat instead of troubling another passenger,” Chouhan stated.
Tata Group’s Ownership Fails to Improve Service?
Chouhan expressed disappointment, stating that he had expected better service from Air India after its acquisition by the Tata Group. However, his experience proved otherwise.
“I don’t care about discomfort, but charging full fare and offering broken seats is unethical. Isn’t this cheating passengers?” he questioned.
He further demanded to know whether Air India would rectify such issues in the future or continue to exploit passengers who have no choice but to travel despite poor service.
Air India Responds to the Minister’s Complaint
Following his post, Air India issued an official response, apologizing for the inconvenience and assuring corrective action.
“Dear Sir, we apologize for the inconvenience caused. Please be assured that we are looking into this matter carefully to prevent future occurrences. Kindly DM us a convenient time to connect,” the airline stated.
Is It Failing Its Passengers?
If a Union Minister faces such treatment, what can regular passengers expect? Many travelers have already raised concerns about Air India’s service quality, and this incident further damages its reputation.
With competition in the airline industry growing, It must urgently address passenger grievances to retain customer trust. Whether the airline implements real improvements or continues to ignore passenger concerns remains to be seen.