Air India Express passenger records video after being denied boarding, airline reacts
A social worker has criticised Air India Express ground staff for rude behaviour after he was denied boarding a flight. In a response to the post, the airline cited its 25-minute gate closure rule, sparking a debate.
A social worker has criticised Air India Express in an Instagram post after he was stopped from boarding a 6:35 pm flight when he reached the gate at 6:20 pm. The post went viral on social media, prompting a response from the airline.
Tarun Mishra, who has more than 3.5 million followers on Instagram, shared the incident in a video posted by his team member Vikas Jha.
In the video, recorded from the boarding area, Tarun said he had reached the gate at 6:20 pm and was not allowed to board despite making several requests. He also said he had explained that his situation was urgent.
He also accused the Air India Express staff at the airport of being rude and claimed they did not communicate with him properly.
“Yahaan ke jo employees hain, woh bilkul badtameez hai, inko baat karne ki koi tameez nahi hai. Yahin pe agar koi VIP hota, toh flight bhi ruk jaati aur abhi bhi flight ke jaane ka time nahi hua hai par inhone abhi se door close kar diya hai (The employees here are extremely rude and do not know how to speak to people. If there were a VIP here, the flight would have been held back, but it is not even time for the flight to leave, and they have already closed the door),” he said.
Air India Express responded to the post with its explanation, saying Tarun had reached the boarding gate at 6:20 pm for a flight scheduled to depart at 6:35 pm.
“As we checked, you have reported at the boarding gate at 18:20, while the flight was scheduled to depart at 18:35. We would like to inform you that boarding gates close 25 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time, and multiple announcements were made requesting guests to proceed for boarding,” Air India Express said.
The airline’s response prompted several reactions.
One user pointed to several mandatory steps, including load and trim calculations, centre-of-gravity checks, security procedures, documentation and regulatory requirements, all of which need to be completed before an aircraft can depart.
Others, however, sided with Tarun Mishra, saying they had faced similar situations at airports. Some also questioned his claim about VIP treatment and asked whether ordinary passengers received the same flexibility.