Olympic silver medallist P.V. Sindhu complained of rude behaviour by an IndiGo airline skipper while she was travelling from Hyderabad to Mumbai on Saturday.
“Sorry to say .. I had a very bad experience when I was flying by 6E 608 flight to Bombay on 4th Nov the ground staff by name Mr Ajeetesh,” the badminton star wrote on Twitter.
“Ground staff (skipper) Mr Ajeetesh behaved very badly and rudely with me. When the air hostess Ms. Ashima tried to advise him to behave properly with the passenger (me) but to my surprise, he behaved very rudely with her. If this type of people work for a reputed airline like Indigo they will spoil their reputation,” Ms. Sindhu, also a deputy collector, said.
The airline immediately replied to her regretting the inconvenience caused, but backed its employee, saying he was only doing his job.
“Ms. P.V. Sindhu boarded flight 6E608 Hyderabad- Mumbai carrying oversized baggage which was not fitting in the overhead bin. Ms. Sindhu was informed that it will be moved to the cargo hold of the aircraft. This is the same policy we follow for all customers,” the airline said in a statement.
The staffer apparently objected to her carrying her kit-bag which had her racquets as hand luggage.
‘Safety concerns’
“Oversized baggage inside the cabin inconveniences other customers and can also be a safety hazard if it cannot be secured properly,” the airline said.
“We are extremely proud of your sporting achievements and are grateful for the laurels you have won for our country,” IndiGo added.
There were mixed reactions from the Twitterati. Users pointed out that naming the employee may cost him his job.
However, a majority, including Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, came to her support and spoke of similar experiences. “PVSindhu’s experience isn’t uncommon. I no longer fly @britishairways because of the behaviour of their ground staff,” Mr. Tharoor tweeted.
(With PTI inputs)
