Zero Tolerance For Such Behaviour, Says Scindia After IndiGo Flight Barred A Specially Abled Child

Civil Aviation Minister said there was no tolerance for discriminatory behaviour

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has promised appropriate action following reports that an especially abled child was barred from boarding an IndiGo flight at Ranchi airport.

Scindia said there was zero tolerance for such discriminatory behaviour by airline staff, adding that he was looking into the matter personally.

“There is zero tolerance towards such behaviour. No human being should have to go through this! Investigating the matter by myself, post which appropriate action will be taken,” the minister tweeted in response to a flyer’s post complaining about the incident.

According to the tweet by Abhinandan Mishra, a passenger present at the time of the incident, an IndiGo airlines representative at Ranchi airport did not permit a special needs child and his parents to board a flight for not displaying “normal” behaviour. When the family and other passengers objected, the representative got into a verbal altercation with them.

Mishra said the child had an uncomfortable car ride to the airport and was visibly stressed on arrival at the boarding gate. His parents, however, brought the situation under control with some food and love.

But at the time of boarding, an IndiGo manager warned the family that the child would not be allowed to board the plane unless he acted 'normally'. He reportedly announced that the specially-abled child is a flight risk and compared the condition (teenage assertiveness) to that of drunken passengers and deemed the child un-fit for travel.

According to co-passengers, there were doctors taking the same flight and they assured them of support. But eventually, the IndiGo flight departed to Hyderabad, leaving the three behind.

After the news went viral, IndiGo issued a statement claiming that the specially abled child could not have boarded the flight in 'a state of panic'.

"The ground staff waited for him to calm down till the last minute, but to no avail. The airline made the family comfortable by providing them a hotel stay and the family flew the next morning to their destination. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers," said IndiGo.