Former AirAsia CFO Vijay Gopalan has claimed that an IndiGo flight departed without him despite being shown as “delayed” on the airline’s system, prompting him to accuse the airline of being “unbelievably arrogant”.
In a post on Instagram, Gopalan said that he was scheduled to fly from Tiruchirappalli International Airport to Chennai at 2:55 pm after completing web check-in. He said he arrived at the airport around 1 pm and headed to the lounge to finish some work.
While he waited, the departure time was repeatedly revised, first to 3:10 pm, then 3:15 pm, and later 3:25 pm, as reflected on the display board.
“I was looking at the board, it still said security. They hadn’t announced the boarding and therefore, why would I go and wait at the gate?”
he said, adding that the lounge is only a “2-3 minute” walk from the boarding gate.
Gopalan said he received a call from airline staff around 3:05 pm asking about his whereabouts. “I immediately checked the display board. It still showed security. I asked how the flight could leave when boarding hadn’t even been announced,” he said.
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However, when he rushed to the gate, he was reportedly told that final boarding calls had already been made.
“So the flight left us. It just left without me. And the ground staff were super rude,” he said, claiming one staff member remarked, “Just because you wanted to eat good food, you cannot delay our flight, so we left it without you.”
In a follow-up video, Gopalan said airline officials told him that frequent flyers are expected to know that boarding gates close 25 minutes before departure.
“I don’t even know when the departure is going to happen… you moved the flight from 2:55 to 3:10, 3:15, 3:25,” he said, arguing the display had not been properly updated and led him to assume there would be a further delay.
He further alleged that he was asked to pay a “minimal charge” of Rs 3,000 to be rebooked, which was later reduced to Rs 1,800 by an airport manager. Gopalan said he, a colleague, and another passenger who had been waiting in the lounge were eventually shifted to a later flight, forcing him to miss a conference in Chennai.
Sharing a video of his interaction with ground staff, he wrote, “There was ZERO intent to listen to my side of the story and more importantly , deflect the blame to me when they knew they were at fault. I was told I was careless. I was told I sat in some other place. I was told I missed the flight because I wanted good food… None of this is true.”
“I am not angry. I am plain disappointed. If this is not arrogance what is ? Why blame passengers when the mistake is on your part ? Your own guys lied to me saying the gate numbers printed on the boarding pass when it is not. When asked, the blame was deflected to me,” Gopalan added.
In a statement to HT.com, IndiGo said an interim issue had impacted the Flight Information Display System, which is operated by the airport authority. The airline added that its staff followed standard boarding protocols and made the final boarding announcement, but Gopalan failed to reach the gate on time.
“We truly understand how concerning it can be to miss a flight, and the inconvenience this may have caused you. As checked, an interim issue impacted the Flight Information Display System, the management of which falls within the purview of the airport operator. Meanwhile, our team proceeded in accordance with the standard boarding protocol and made the requisite final boarding announcement. However, we understand that you (Gopalan) were unable to reach the gate in time, following which our airport team assisted you with an alternate flight to ensure you could continue your journey. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you onboard again for a smoother and more pleasant experience,” IndiGo said.
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