The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked Air India to explain itself after Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan lashed out at the airline’s service on social media. Chouhan claimed he was given a “broken and sunken seat” on Air India flight AI436 while he was traveling from Bhopal to Delhi on Saturday.
Disappointed, Chouhan said he had hoped for better service from Air India following its acquisition by Tata but was disappointed.
Minister Criticizes Air India’s Service on Social Media
Posting on social media, Chouhan complained about the substandard seat quality, terming it “unethical” to offer full fare to passengers while delivering faulty seats.
“My impression was that Air India’s service would improve after Tata took over, but it turned out to be my misconception,” Chouhan said in a tweet on Saturday. “I don’t mind discomfort in sitting, but it is unethical to make passengers sit on bad and uncomfortable seats after charging them the full fare. Isn’t this cheating the passengers?,” Chouhan tweeted.
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
His complaint has fueled widespread debates over Air India’s service standards and passenger comfort.
DGCA and Aviation Ministry Act Promptly
In response to Chouhan’s statement, the DGCA asked Air India for a response to the minister’s grievance. An aviation ministry official confirmed the development and said, “DGCA has sought a response from Air India on the issue of broken seats highlighted by the Union minister.”
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu also reacted, stating, “We spoke to the Air India immediately on this issue and instructed them to take necessary action. From our side DGCA will also be looking into details of matter promptly. And I have personally spoken to Shivraj ji also.”
Also, the ministry has spoken to Air India’s CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson, asking the airline to resolve the issue at the earliest. “We have advised Air India’s CEO to handle the matter on top priority,” a Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) spokesperson said.
Air India Issues Apology, Vows Probe
Following the outrage, Air India made an official apology, admitting the trouble caused to the minister.
“Air India deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to Hon’ble Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan ji on his flight from Bhopal to Delhi,” an Air India spokesperson said.
“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.
Minister Details His Ordeal on AI436
Detailing further about the experience, Chouhan elaborated, “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.”
“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 continued.
Chouhan said that other passengers asked him to change seats, but he did not want to disturb another person. “But why should I trouble another person for my sake? I decided to complete my journey sitting in the same seat,” he said.
Demands for Air India to Enhance Service Standards
The minister also questioned Air India’s management by asking, “Will Air India take steps to ensure that no passenger faces such inconvenience in the future, or will it continue to take advantage of passengers’ compulsion to reach their destinations quickly”
During the controversy, Air India announced that it had initiated a full-scale retrofit of its older planes. The project involves replacing all seats and renovating cabin interiors.
The carrier plans to have its narrow-body jet retrofitting done by mid-year, while wide-body aircraft is to start soon and be completed next year. However, the global supply chain disruptions have delayed those timelines.
While DGCA and the aviation ministry continue to look into the matter, passengers and industry observers closely observe how Air India will remedy this problem and enhance its service standard in the next few months.
