चालक दल द्वारा पीछे खड़े यात्री को ओवरबुक किए जाने के बाद इंडिगो का विमान हवाईअड्डे पर लौट आया।

IndiGo flight returns to airport after crew spots overbooked passenger standing at the back.

An IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Varanasi on Tuesday had to return to the aerobridge at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) after crew members discovered an overbooked passenger just before take-off. The incident occurred around 7:50 a.m. when a crew member noticed a male passenger standing at the rear of the aircraft while flight 6E 6543 was taxiing. “The crew alerted the pilot, and the flight returned to the terminal,” said Sandeep Pandey, a passenger on the flight.

Airlines typically overbook to minimize the chances of flights departing with empty seats.

Another passenger, Akhilesh Chaubey, on a work trip to Varanasi, recounted, “The flight returned to the bay, and the passenger was offloaded. The airline then checked all passengers' cabin baggage before taking off after a delay of at least an hour.”

According to Flightradar24, the aircraft departed at 8:41 a.m. An IndiGo spokesperson explained, “There was an error during the boarding process of flight 6E 6543, where a standby passenger was given a seat reserved for a confirmed passenger. This error was noticed before departure, leading to the de-boarding of the standby passenger and a slight delay. IndiGo regrets the inconvenience and will strengthen its operational processes.”

Amit Mishra, another passenger, mentioned they arrived in Varanasi around 10:30 a.m. “To catch a 7:50 a.m. flight, one needs to be at the airport by 6:30 a.m. without a check-in bag. Such delays due to airline overbooking should be addressed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.” The aviation regulator has been penalizing airlines for denying boarding to passengers with valid tickets.

As per DGCA regulations notified in 2016, airlines do not need to compensate passengers if an alternative flight is arranged within an hour of the scheduled departure. However, if an alternative flight is provided within 24 hours, the airline must pay 200% of the booked one-way basic fare plus fuel charge, up to a maximum of ₹10,000.

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