Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan publicly criticized Air India after being assigned a broken seat during his flight AI436 from Bhopal to New Delhi on February 22, 2025. The minister expressed his dissatisfaction via social media, questioning the service quality he believed would improve under the airline's new management by the Tata Group.
Chouhan detailed his uncomfortable experience on the social media platform X, stating, "Today I had to come from Bhopal to Delhi, inaugurate the Kisan Mela at Pusa, hold a meeting of the Natural Farming Mission, and discuss with the honorable representatives of the Kisan Organisation. I had booked ticket number AI436, and I was allotted seat number 8C. When I went and sat on the seat, the seat was broken and sunken. It was uncomfortable to sit." His post highlighted not only the discomfort but his disillusionment with Air India after the airline's transition to private management.
During his flight, Chouhan confronted the airline staff about the broken seat and received concerning news: the management had already been informed about the seat's condition prior to the flight, and it should not have been sold. "When I asked the airline staff why the seat was allotted to me if it was bad, they told me the management had been informed earlier about this seat," he wrote. Despite fellow passengers offering to switch seats with him, Chouhan declined, choosing not to inconvenience others, demonstrating both his resolve and the level of discomfort he had to endure on the flight.
Frustrated, Chouhan posed key questions to Air India management: "Will the Air India management take steps to prevent such inconvenience for passengers in the future, or will it continue to take advantage of passengers’ urgency to reach their destinations?" He emphasized, "Isn’t this cheating the passengers?" His comments have triggered discussions around passenger rights and airline management, particularly concerning the preservation and upkeep of aircraft.
Following Chouhan's social media outcry, Air India swiftly issued an apology. An airline spokesperson said, "Air India deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to Hon’ble Union Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan ji on his flight from Bhopal to Delhi. This does not reflect the standard of service we strive to provide, and we are conducting a thorough investigation to prevent any recurrence of this issue." The airline's response indicates their acknowledgment of the concern raised and signifies urgency toward rectifying such operational oversights.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu also responded to the situation, taking proactive measures immediately after learning about Chouhan's experience. Naidu spoke to Air India management, urging them to take necessary action and reported the involvement of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), emphasizing they would be prompt and thorough in their investigation. The DGCA has requested Air India to provide clearer details on how such lapses occurred, igniting focus on the issue of mismanaged seating arrangements within the airline.
The incident has ignited broader conversation about Air India's service quality since its acquisition by the Tata Group, which bought the airline for ₹18,000 crore. Many, including Chouhan, had high hopes for enhanced service post-acquisition. Reflecting on the experience, Chouhan remarked, "My impression was Air India’s service would have improved after Tata took over management, but this turned out to be my misconception." His remarks underline the challenges faced by the airline to transform its public image and operational standards.
The political ramifications of this incident are notable, with Congress taking the opportunity to critique the government's handling of services across multiple sectors, including aviation. Their response on social media implied negligence, attributing woes faced by citizens to systemic failures within the government. The nature of Chouhan's complaint not only raised questions about service quality at Air India but opened the floodgates for discussions on the performance of public services overall.
The recurring theme of subpar treatment of passengers has continued to plague Air India, as highlighted by this incident. Historical complaints have identified issues like broken seats and unclean cabins, cases of passengers being downgraded, and long flight delays. With the fleet's maintenance being cited as problematic, the airline's efforts to improve service have been met with challenges, especially as Air India navigates the transition from government to private management.
Chouhan's experience draws attention to the importance of accountability within the airline sector, stressing the necessity for airlines to prioritize passenger comfort and trust. While user experience should be aligned with customer satisfaction, incidents like this serve as stark reminders of the work still needed within the aviation industry to meet the expectations of passengers.
Air India must now tackle these criticisms head-on, ensuring passengers receive the treatment and quality they pay for, and it may need to undertake significant operational reform to rescue its tarnished reputation.