New Delhi, February 20 – BJP's Lok Sabha member Praveen Khandelwal criticized IndiGo on Friday, calling the airline's mishandling of baggage "shameful" during his recent flight, and highlighted the growing concerns about passenger experience at the nation's busiest airlines.
Khandelwal, a Member of Parliament from Chandni Chowk and Secretary General of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), who traveled on flight 6E-5237 from New Delhi to Belagavi (Karnataka), said he reached his destination, but his checked-in baggage did not arrive – and there has been no clarity on its whereabouts, causing "immense mental anguish, serious inconvenience, and financial loss" as he was forced to buy essential clothing and items.
Crucially, he said the lost luggage also contained important and valuable documents, making the situation "even more distressing."
Khandelwal's social media post on X highlighted that such negligence and poor baggage management are completely unacceptable, particularly when experienced by a sitting Member of Parliament. "If this is the experience extended to a Member of Parliament, one can only imagine the plight of ordinary passengers," he wrote, stressing the need for accountability and better passenger care.
Tagging Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, Khandelwal demanded an "immediate explanation" from the airline for the mishandling of his baggage and sought clarity on corrective measures being taken.
He also appealed to Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, saying the episode "reflects deeply concerning operational standards at IndiGo" and called for immediate intervention by the government to safeguard passenger interests and uphold service quality.
The complaint comes amid broader scrutiny of IndiGo's operational challenges, including past flight disruptions and customer grievances over cancellations, delays, refunds, and baggage issues that have drawn regulatory attention.
Officials from the airline were yet to respond to the specific baggage complaint at the time of reporting.