CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: A
passenger
with a ticket to Delhi boarded a
flight
to Mumbai at the Aurangabad airport on Thursday evening in a major security gaffe.
The IndiGo flight to Mumbai was scheduled to depart at 6.30pm, while the Delhi-bound flight was set to take off at 7pm.
The passenger and the airline realised the
mix-up
only after the passenger found someone else already at the seat he believed was allotted to him.
While the flight's doors were locked and the crew began to make safety announcements, the passenger kicked up a fuss about his seat. The crew then checked the tickets and realised that the man was bound for Delhi.
The flight captain was informed and a message was sent out to the ground staff soon after, following which the passenger was deboarded. He was made to go through security checks again before he boarded the correct flight.
IndiGo Airlines confirmed the mix-up and said they have begun an investigation.
Due to an operational error, an IndiGo passenger was mistakenly boarded on an Aurangabad-Mumbai flight instead of Delhi," the airline said in a statement. "However, the team rectified the issue immediately upon boarding and provided all necessary assistance to ensure the passenger's onward journey. We sincerely apologize to the passenger for the inconvenience. We're also investigating the matter and strengthening our processes to avoid any such occurrence in the future."
The airport has also begun an internal inquiry into the incident. Aurangabad airport director Sharad Yeole told TOI, "We have asked Indigo airlines to share the details about the incident."
The incident has stunned airport authorities, security staff as well as aviation experts.
Officials questioned the carelessness of the airline's ground staff, and pointed out that several checks were already in place to ensure passengers don't board the wrong flight.
"The scanners go green after a ticket is screened, and there are beeps to indicate something is wrong if an unscheduled or unlisted passenger is at the scanner for clearance. However, the passenger managed to get through all these security checks," another senior official of the Airports Authority of India said.
The incident is not only a direct violation of the Bureau of Civil Aviation of India's guidelines but also a blatant security lapse, an expert said.
"This is a serious security lapse and needs to be investigated at the highest level," said aviation expert Ahmed Jaleel.
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