New Delhi: Air India is facing intense scrutiny after Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan publicly criticised the airline’s service, highlighting a “broken and sunken seat” on his flight from Bhopal to Delhi. The incident has prompted an investigation by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and a formal apology from Air India.
Chouhan’s experience on Air India flight AI436, where he was assigned seat 8C, sparked his public complaint on social media. He described the seat as “broken and sunken,” expressing disappointment that the airline’s service quality hadn’t improved since the Tata takeover.
“Today, I had to travel from Bhopal to Delhi to inaugurate the Kisan Mela in Pusa, hold a meeting of the Natural Farming Mission in Kurukshetra, and discuss matters with the honourable representatives of the Kisan Organization in Chandigarh. I had booked a ticket on Air India flight AI436 and was allotted seat 8C. When I sat down, I found the seat was broken and sunken. It was uncomfortable,” Chouhan posted on X in Hindi.
आज मुझे भोपाल से दिल्ली आना था, पूसा में किसान मेले का उद्घाटन, कुरुक्षेत्र में प्राकृतिक खेती मिशन की बैठक और चंडीगढ़ में किसान संगठन के माननीय प्रतिनिधियों से चर्चा करनी है।
मैंने एयर इंडिया की फ्लाइट क्रमांक AI436 में टिकिट करवाया था, मुझे सीट क्रमांक 8C आवंटित हुई। मैं जाकर…
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 22, 2025
He questioned the ethics of charging full fare for a visibly damaged seat, characterising the situation as “cheating passengers.” He noted that airline staff admitted the seat’s condition was known and shouldn’t have been sold.
“When I asked the airline staff why such a seat was assigned to me, they told me that the management had been informed earlier that the seat was not in good condition and that its ticket should not have been sold. This is not the only seat like this, there are many others,” he added.
Despite several co-passengers offering to switch seats, Chouhan opted to remain in his assigned seat, emphasising his discomfort rather than inconveniencing others. His tweet prompted an immediate response from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which contacted Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, to address the issue urgently. The ministry also confirmed that the DGCA has formally sought a response from Air India regarding the incident.
“DGCA has sought a response from Air India on the issue of broken seats highlighted by the Union minister,” said an aviation ministry official.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated that the ministry instructed Air India to take immediate action and that the DGCA would thoroughly investigate the matter.
“We spoke to Air India immediately on this issue and instructed them to take necessary action. From our side DGCA will also be looking into the details of the matter promptly. And I have personally spoken to Shivraj ji also,” Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said after the minister’s post.
Air India issued a prompt apology, expressing regret for the inconvenience caused to the minister and stating that it does not reflect their service standards. The airline also launched a full investigation to prevent similar occurrences.
“This does not reflect the standard of service we strive to provide to our guests, and we are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter to ensure that such incidents are not repeated,” the spokesperson added.
