Anupam Mittal, founder of Shaadi.com, on Thursday claimed that Indian airlines were following a pattern of last-minute cancellations and rescheduling. Taking to Twitter, Mittal accused IndiGo and Tata Group's Vistara of regularly cancelling flights due to a lack of passengers and then arranging alternative options to accommodate other flyers.
Read: IndiGo flight cancelled after wheel skids off runway in Jorhat
He wrote, "Clear pattern emerging on Indian airlines especially Vistara and Indigo when they don’t have enough load on a flight, they cancel last minute with impunity and without giving any reasons and combine with an earlier or later flight and call it ‘rescheduling’..."
The Shark Tank India judge requested his followers to retweet his post and tagged Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to draw attention to the matter in order to reduce inconvenience to travellers, especially the elderly.
“Pls RT so@DGCAIndia takes note and saves passengers, especially senior citizens, from inconvenience & stress,” he added.
Read: Vistara flight returns to Delhi after ‘full emergency’ mid-air, DGCA probe on
Several users agreed to Mittal’s allegation and shared similar experiences faced by them. One user, who booked SpiceJet as per the tweet, wrote, “I booked a flight of 9.10 am and after 4 flight timing changes, one absurdly at 4.10 am in the morning, I flew at 6.30 pm. While returning flight of 11.30 changed 2 times and I flew at 4.30 pm. Ixb-ccu sector. Very absurd.”Mittal responded to the user and explained that his family just had to go through a flight cancellation and rescheduling process without the airlines providing any reason for the same.
Read: IndiGo passengers get pilot changed before diverted flight returns to Mumbai
{{/usCountry}}Several users agreed to Mittal’s allegation and shared similar experiences faced by them. One user, who booked SpiceJet as per the tweet, wrote, “I booked a flight of 9.10 am and after 4 flight timing changes, one absurdly at 4.10 am in the morning, I flew at 6.30 pm. While returning flight of 11.30 changed 2 times and I flew at 4.30 pm. Ixb-ccu sector. Very absurd.”Mittal responded to the user and explained that his family just had to go through a flight cancellation and rescheduling process without the airlines providing any reason for the same.
Read: IndiGo passengers get pilot changed before diverted flight returns to Mumbai
{{/usCountry}}Another Twitter user opined that clubbing flights is the ‘right’ thing to do to reduce carbon emissions. "So if the load is not enough then is it not the right thing to do? These aircraft already produce so much emission. Time to think about global warming very seriously. If they don't have (enough) load it's good to club two aircraft loads and make a full load. Of course with enough planning time," the person tweeted.
Replying to the comment, the Shark Tank India judge wrote, "Try telling that to somebody going to attend their loved one's funeral."
Both the airlines haven’t acknowledged the claims yet.
On Thursday, an IndiGo aircraft operating on the Bengaluru-Ahmedabad route was grounded after it suffered a tail strike while landing at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, five days after a similar incident took place at the Delhi airport.