Indigo pilot 'off-rostered' for misbehaving with woman, her 75-year-old mother, says Civil Aviation Minister

After an IndiGo Airline's pilot allegedly "harassed and threatened" a woman traveller and her 75-year-old wheelchair-bound mother in a  flight on Monday, Civil Aviation Minister informed that the captain has been "off-rostered" and an inquiry was ordered against him.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri took cognizance of the matter, saying that the airline has informed the Ministry of Civil Aviation that the pilot has been "off-rostered" for the time being pending a full inquiry.

"I requested my office to contact @IndiGo6E as soon as I saw the tweet by Ms@SupriyaUnniNair about the pilot's behaviour with her & her 75 yr old mother in need of wheelchair assistance. The airline has informed @MoCA_GoI that the pilot has been off-rostered pending full enquiry," Puri said.

I requested my office to contact @IndiGo6E as soon as I saw the tweet by Ms @SupriyaUnniNair about the pilot's behaviour with her & her 75 yr old mother in need of wheelchair assistance.
The airline has informed @MoCA_GoI that the pilot has been off-rostered pending full enquiry https://t.co/NVkjr6ubti

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 14, 2020

The Haryana-based airline informed in a tweet that "matter is under internal review and necessary action will be taken."

The matter came to light when Suriya Unnai Nair posted a thread on Twitter tagging the airline and Ministry of Civil Aviation, narrating the incident for the authorities to take notice. Nair stated that after the Indigo flight landed, she was harassed by the pilot of the plane on asking for wheelchair assistance for her septuagenarian mother.

"I always ask for a wheelchair beforehand for my mom & remind staff when we land. Staff on all airlines have always been helpful. Our flight was late & when we landed at 9:15 I tried calling the assistance bell & when the crew didn't respond  I walked up for help," she tweeted.

.@IndiGo6E I always ask for wheelchair beforehand for my mom & remind staff when we land. Staff on all airlines have always been helpful. Our flight was late & when we landed at 9:15 I tried calling the assistance bell & when the crew didint respond I walked up for help.

— Sun☀️Tweets (@SupriyaUnniNair) January 13, 2020

"She claimed we don't have access to a wheelchair when it was clearly printed on the ticket.  When I pointed this out to her, the captain came barging out and yells at me for pressing the assistance button and annoying him and his crew," she added.

.@IndiGo6E
She claimed we don't have access to a wheelchair when it was clearly printed on the ticket. When I pointed this out to her, the captain came barging out and yells at me for pressing the assistance button and annoying him and his crew.

— Sun☀️Tweets (@SupriyaUnniNair) January 13, 2020

Thereafter, he allegedly prevented them from deboarding the flight, threatened, and hurled abuses at them.

In the midst of the verbal altercation between Nair and the captain, the Indigo ground staff intervened and apologised for the pilot's rude behaviour. Then they proceeded to help Nair and her mother to get off the flight safely, Nair informed in a tweet.

After the tumultuous incident, she left a complaint with the airport authority.