Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight makes U-turn after crew finds overbooked passenger standing at the back

It is reportedly said that the incident occurred around 7:50 am when a male passenger was seen standing at the rear of the aircraft as flight 6E 6543 was taxiing. "The crew alerted the pilot, and the flight had to return to the terminal," one of the passengers said.

An IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Varanasi was on Tuesday (May 21) forced to return to the terminal at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) after a crew member spotted an overbooked passenger just before take-off.

It is reportedly said that the incident occurred around 7:50 am when a male passenger was seen standing at the rear of the aircraft as flight 6E 6543 was taxiing. "The crew alerted the pilot, and the flight had to return to the terminal," one of the passengers said.

IndiGo has yet to respond to the incident.

Airlines often overbook flights to avoid departing with empty seats, a practice that led to this unusual situation.

Akhilesh Chaubey, a passenger on a work trip to Varanasi, recounted the disruption and said, "The flight returned to the bay, and the passenger was offloaded. The airline then checked the cabin baggage of all passengers before proceeding with take-off after a delay of at least an hour."

The DGCA has been implementing penalties on airlines for denying boarding to passengers with valid tickets. As per DGCA's 2016 civil aviation regulations, airlines are not required to compensate passengers if an alternative flight is arranged within an hour of the scheduled departure. However, if an alternative is arranged within 24 hours, the airline must pay 200% of the booked one-way basic fare, plus an airline fuel charge, up to a maximum of Rs 10,000.