New Delhi, February 22, 2025: Central Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took to X (Formerly Twitter) today to share his recent travel ordeal on Air India Flight AI436. On a journey that involved stops from Bhopal to Delhi—with engagements at a farmers’ fair in Pusa, a natural farming mission meeting in Kurukshetra, and discussions with representatives in Chandigarh—the minister tweeted about the discomfort he experienced due to a faulty seat.
The minister booked his ticket and was allocated seat 8C. However, upon boarding, he discovered that the seat was broken and had sunk inward, making it extremely uncomfortable. When he questioned the cabin crew about the faulty seat, they revealed that management had been informed beforehand about its condition and had advised against selling tickets for that seat—yet it was still assigned.
Despite being urged by other passengers to change to a more comfortable seat, the minister refused to do so, citing fear that changing the seat would cause inconvenience to others. He termed the experience unethical, contending that charging full fare to passengers for a faulty, uncomfortable seat is a kind of deception.
This episode has triggered more doubts over the service level at Air India, particularly in a phase where better standards were expected in the wake of new Tata ownership. The minister’s experience requires prompt intervention so that travelling becomes less embarrassing and related concerns are brought before the airline’s management well enough to redress the grievance.
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