Boarding error lands IndiGo in trouble, extra passenger found standing on Mumbai-Varanasi flight

An IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Varanasi had to return to the airport after a passenger who was given a standby ticket was found standing inside the plane by the crew, News 18 reported.

A standby passenger is generally a staff member who takes the flight when a seat is vacant.

An error was made by the airline during the boarding process. The airline released a statement clarifying that the error was noticed prior to the departure of the aircraft.

"The error was noticed prior to the departure of the aircraft, and the standby passenger was de-boarded. This led to a slight delay in the departure of the aircraft", the statement read.

Akhilesh Chaubey, one of the passengers of the 6E 6543 flight told News 18, "The flight returned to the bay and the passenger was offloaded. The airline then checked the cabin baggage of all passengers on board before proceeding with the take-off after a delay of at least an hour."

Hindustan Times reported that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been imposing penalties on airlines in cases of denial in boarding even on fair ticket.

If the airline arranges a flight 24 hours after boarding denial, it has to compensate 200 per cent of the one-way fare but if it arranges a flight within an hour, it is not obligated for compensation, News 18 report said.

(With PTI inputs)