IndiGo flight returns to airport due to overbooking
What's the story
An IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Varanasi was forced to return to the aerobridge at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport (CSMIA) on Tuesday due to an overbooking incident. The situation unfolded around 7:50am when a male passenger was spotted standing at the back of the aircraft as flight 6E6543 was taxiing. "It was then that the crew alerted the pilot and the flight had to return to the terminal," said Sandeep Pandey, a passenger on board.
Flight delay
Overbooking leads to delayed departure
The overbooking incident resulted in a significant delay in the flight's departure. "The flight returned to the bay and the passenger was offloaded. The airline then checked the cabin baggage of all passengers on board before proceeding with the take-off after a delay of at least an hour," said Akhilesh Chaubey, another passenger en route to Varanasi for work. According to Flightradar24, a flight tracking website, the aircraft eventually took off at 8:41am.
Passenger reactions
Passengers express concern over airline practices
Passenger Amit Mishra reported that the flight landed in Varanasi around 10:30am, expressing concern over such delays caused by airline practices. "To catch a flight of 7:50am, one needs to be at the airport by 6:30am at the latest if one does not have a check-in bag. Such delays due to the airline's illegal motives need to be taken up by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation," Mishra stated.