According to airline sources, a passenger assaulted Indigo flight 6E-2175 pilot Anup Kumar at around 1pm while he was making an announcement about the delay in departure due to crew change mandated by FDTL regulations after prolonged delays.
The viral footage shows a passenger, identified as Sahil Kataraia, wearing a yellow hoodie, running up to the aircraft’s pilot and physically assaulting him in a fit of anger.
“A passenger punched an Indigo capt in the aircraft as he was making delay announcement. The guy ran up from the last row and punched the new Capt who replaced the previous crew who crossed FDTL. Unbelievable !,” a user posted on social media platform X.
The crew members were seen trying to calm the agitated passenger and urging others to stay buckled in.
After the video of the incident went viral on social media platforms, the aviation security agency has taken cognizance and initiated a probe into the same.
Meanwhile, IndiGo has lodged a formal complaint against the passenger, and the process of filing a case is underway, the airline sources said.
Delhi police have assured appropriate action into the incident.
“We received a complaint and are taking appropriate legal action,” a senior official with Airport police said.
On Sunday, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport witnessed chaotic scenes as dozens of flights were delayed due to dense fog and bad weather conditions. This left hundreds of passengers stranded at the airport for several hours.
As per officials, nearly a dozen flights to Delhi were diverted due to unfavourable weather conditions on Sunday.