SpiceJet passenger alleges assault by Air India Express pilot at Delhi airport

A tense altercation at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has spiralled into a storm of controversy after a SpiceJet passenger accused an Air India Express pilot of physically assaulting him during a dispute over an alleged breach of the boarding queue — an incident that has since ignited widespread outrage on social media.

The passenger, Ankit Dewan, took to X to narrate the ordeal, sharing a photograph that showed blood on his face. Dewan alleged that the confrontation unfolded in full view of his seven-year-old daughter, leaving the child deeply traumatised after witnessing what he described as a violent attack.

Tagging the Delhi Police in his posts, Dewan questioned why he was unable to lodge a formal complaint after completing his journey. “Why can’t I file a complaint after coming back? Must I sacrifice my money too, to seek justice? Will the CCTV footage disappear in the next two days till I make it back to Delhi?” he wrote.

The Delhi Police responded by stating that no formal complaint had yet been received. “The matter has come to the knowledge of the police through a social media post. Whenever a written complaint is received by the victim, appropriate legal action will be taken,” the police said.

Dewan further alleged that he was pressured into writing a letter stating that he would not pursue the matter any further. “It was either write that letter, or miss my flight and throw the Rs 1.2 lakh holiday bookings down the drain,” he claimed.

According to Dewan, the incident occurred while he was travelling with his family, including his wife, a seven-year-old child, and a four-month-old infant in a stroller. He said airport staff directed the family to use a security lane typically reserved for staff to facilitate their movement through the terminal.

The situation escalated, he alleged, when some staff members began cutting ahead in the queue. “The staff was cutting the queue ahead of me. On calling them out, Capt. Virender Sejwal, who himself was doing the same thing, asked me if I was anpadh (uneducated) and couldn’t read the signs saying the entry was for staff,” Dewan wrote, adding that the exchange soon deteriorated into a heated verbal confrontation.

He claimed that the argument turned violent when the Air India Express pilot allegedly assaulted him. “Not able to exercise restraint, the AIX pilot proceeded to physically assault me, leaving me bloody,” Dewan said, identifying the pilot in a subsequent post and stating that the blood visible on the pilot’s shirt in the photograph was his own.

Air India Express swiftly condemned the incident, announcing that the employee concerned had been removed from official duties with immediate effect, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. “Appropriate disciplinary action will be initiated based on the findings of the inquiry,” the airline said in a statement.

The airline clarified that the pilot was travelling as a passenger on another airline at the time and was not on official duty. Reiterating its commitment to professionalism, Air India Express said it “upholds the highest standards of conduct” and does not tolerate behaviour that falls short of those values.

As the episode continues to draw public attention, the incident has raised fresh questions about passenger safety, accountability, and conduct within India’s bustling airport terminals.

With IANS inputs