Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar on Sunday slammed Indigo Airline for seats with loose cushions and compromising the safety of passengers. Not only did Jakhar slam Indigo but also wrote to DGCA to have a look into the airline's 'chalta hai' attitude and take appropriate action. The Punjab BJP President also outlined Union Agriculture Shivraj Chouhan's complaint against Air India for broken seats on an Air India flight. However, Indigo came up with sharp response and corrected Jakhar saying that 'our seats are designed with removable cushions'. Check who said what below-
Jakhar on his X wrote, "It seems broken seats, as pointed out by Sh @ChouhanShivraj ji 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 the safety regulations. Cabin crew, though courteous as always, expressed their inability to do anything about it and said I should complain on the company web site.
It’s not the loose cushions or comfort of the seats I’m concerned about. I am writing so that DGCA ensures that this 'chalta hai' attitude of these two premier airlines does not extend to their adherence to the safety norms while servicing and maintenance of the aircraft."
In response, Indigo wrote, "Sir, our seats are designed with removable cushions, secured by velcro, to facilitate easy cleaning and maintenance. On rare occasions, they may come loose at times and may require repositioning for better comfort..
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. Team IndiGo"
Coming to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Saturday, he criticised Air India for mismanagement with seat arrangements after he was allotted a broken seat and questioned whether they were cheating passengers.
Chouhan wrote, "Today I had to come from Bhopal to Delhi, inaugurate the Kisan Mela in Pusa, hold a meeting of the Natural Farming Mission in Kurukshetra and discuss with the representatives of the Kisan Organisation in Chandigarh. I had booked a ticket on Air India flight number AI436, I was allotted seat number 8C. I went and sat on the seat, the seat was broken and sunken in. It was uncomfortable to sit."
The Union Minister further stated that when he asked the airline staff about the seat allocated to him, they stated that the management was aware of the seat's condition and the ticket to the seat was not supposed to be sold.