Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar has shared photos of a broken seat on a Chandigarh-Delhi IndiGo flight he boarded in January this year, raising safety concerns over the airline’s maintenance standards.
Jakhar brought attention to the issue a day after Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reported a similar problem with a defective seat on an Air India flight from Bhopal to Delhi.
Taking to X, Jakhar described the situation, stating that while the cabin crew was courteous, they advised him to lodge a complaint on the IndiGo website after he raised the issue during his flight on January 27.
“It seems broken seats, as pointed out by Sh @ChouhanShivrajji, are not the exclusive domain of Air India. Here are some pictures of an Indigo Chd-Del flight on 27th January showing many seats having loosely thrown cushions and not the regular fitted seats conforming to safety regulations,” Jakhar posted on X.
“Cabin crew, though courteous as always, expressed their inability to do anything about it and said I should complain on the company website,” he added.
Jakhar raised the issue to urge the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ensure that this “chalta hai” attitude of these premier airlines does not extend to their adherence to safety norms during aircraft servicing and maintenance.
In response to Jakhar’s post, IndiGo clarified that the seats in their aircraft are designed with removable cushions secured by velcro for easy cleaning and maintenance.
“Sir, our seats are designed with removable cushions, secured by velcro, to facilitate easy cleaning and maintenance. On rare occasions, they may come loose and require repositioning for better comfort,” IndiGo posted on X.
“Safety is paramount for us, and we assure you that the overall seat design ensures no compromise is made with safety requirements. Thank you for your kind understanding, and we look forward to welcoming you onboard again soon,” the airline added.
