Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has criticized Air India over an “uncomfortable” flight experience, alleging that the airline was “basically cheating passengers.” Taking to social media platform X, Chouhan recounted his ordeal while traveling from Bhopal to Delhi on Air India flight AI436.

Chouhan stated that he had been allotted seat number 8C, which was broken and sunken, making it difficult to sit. “When I sat down, the seat was broken and sunken. It was uncomfortable to sit there,” he posted.

Upon questioning the airline staff about the defective seat, he was reportedly informed that the management was already aware of the issue and that such seats should not have been sold. Chouhan further claimed that several seats on the flight were in poor condition.

“My co-passengers requested me to change to a better seat, but I decided not to inconvenience another passenger and chose to complete my journey in that uncomfortable seat. My impression was that Air India’s service would have improved after Tata took over the management, but it turned out to be my misconception,” he remarked.

Chouhan emphasized that his concern was not his personal discomfort but the ethical aspect of selling defective seats to passengers while charging full fare. “Isn’t this cheating the passengers?” he questioned.

Demanding accountability from the airline, he asked, “Will the Air India management take steps to ensure that no passenger faces such inconvenience in future, or will it continue to take advantage of the passengers’ compulsion to reach their destination early?”

Air India issued an apology to Chouhan, stating, “Please be rest assured that we are looking into this matter carefully to prevent any such occurrences in the future.”

This incident comes amid rising complaints against the airline’s services. Last month, an Air India flight from Mumbai to Dubai faced severe delays, with passengers reportedly locked inside the aircraft for nearly five hours. In another case, a passenger alleged that his business class seat, originally assigned to him and his four-year-old son, was given to a crew member, forcing them to travel in economy class.

Chouhan’s remarks have reignited concerns about passenger experiences and service quality on Air India flights, prompting calls for stricter regulations and oversight in the airline industry.