'Unruly' Indigo passenger who hit pilot for flight delay claims he was en route to honeymoon

Sahil Kataria, the 28-year-old IndiGo passenger, arrested for assaulting co-captain Anup Kumar during a 13-hour flight delay on January 14 has claimed to the police that he lost his temper while en route to Goa for his honeymoon, as per an NDTV report.

Kataria, who operates a toyshop in Delhi, said his anger stemmed from being significantly delayed on his way to Goa for his honeymoon. The flight, scheduled for 7.40 am on January 14, eventually took off at 6.30 pm. However, the police countered this claim, as Kataria had been married for five months.

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IndiGo's Response

In a statement, IndiGo declared the passenger as 'unruly' and is contemplating placing him on the no-fly list for up to 30 days. The airline emphasised its commitment to passenger and crew safety, maintaining a zero-tolerance policy for such behaviour.

"The incident is being referred to the independent internal committee for appropriate action and inclusion of the passenger on the 'no-fly list' as laid down in regulatory guidelines," stated IndiGo.

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Incident Overview

In a video recorded on the IndiGo flight (6E-2175) from Delhi to Goa, Kataria was seen charging at Kumar, during an announcement about delays due to dense fog. Passengers had reportedly been on the aircraft for 10 hours.

"Chalana hai chala, nahi chalana mat chala, khol gate (fly if you want to, otherwise open the door)," Kataria shouted at the pilot, later being restrained by another passenger and handed over to security personnel.

A video was shared on microblogging site X, where a man in a yellow hoodie abruptly ran up from the last row and hit the new pilot, who had replaced the previous crew due to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms after several hours of delay.

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“A passenger punched an Indigo capt in the aircraft as he was making a delay announcement. The guy ran up from the last row and punched the new Capt who replaced the previous crew who crossed FDTL. Unbelievable !" wrote the netizen who shared the video from inside the IndiGo flight.

Kataria was arrested and subsequently released on bail the same evening.

The incident occurred amidst widespread flight disruptions due to fog in north India. The aviation ministry has issued new rules, instructing airlines to cancel flights delayed beyond three hours to address airport chaos.