'This doesn't reflect the standard of...': Air India apologises after Shivraj Singh Chouhan questions full fare for broken seats

Tata-owned Air India has issued an apology and launched an investigation after Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan criticised the airline for assigning him a “broken and sunk” seat on a Delhi-bound flight.

Chouhan, the Minister for Agriculture, took to X on Saturday, stating that he was allotted seat 8C on Air India flight AI436 from Bhopal to Delhi but found it in an unusable condition. “When I reached my seat and sat down, I found that it was broken and sunk. Sitting was uncomfortable,” he wrote.

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister confronted the cabin crew, who reportedly admitted that the management was aware of the seat’s condition and that it should not have been assigned to passengers. Chouhan alleged that several seats on the flight were in a similar state. While fellow passengers offered him their seats, he chose to complete the journey in the defective one, refusing to inconvenience others.

“I am not concerned about my discomfort, but charging passengers full fare and then making them sit on defective and uncomfortable seats is unethical. Isn’t this a form of deception towards passengers?” Chouhan asked in his post. He further questioned whether Air India would take corrective steps or continue “to exploit passengers' urgency to reach their destination.”

Following his remarks, Air India responded on X, saying, “Dear Sir, we apologize for the inconvenience caused. Please be rest assured that we are looking into this matter carefully to prevent any such occurrences in the future. We would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you, kindly DM us a convenient time to connect.”

A spokesperson for the airline also issued a statement, saying, “Air India deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to Hon'ble Union Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan ji on his flight from Bhopal to Delhi. This does not reflect the standard of service we strive to provide to our guests, and we are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter to ensure that such incidents are not repeated.”

The incident prompted Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu to intervene. His office released a statement confirming that the minister had taken “swift action” after Chouhan’s post. “We spoke to Air India immediately on this issue and instructed them to take necessary action. From our side, DGCA will also be looking into details of the matter promptly. And I have personally spoken to Shivraj ji also,” Naidu stated.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sought a report from Air India regarding the incident. 

Later in the day, Chouhan reiterated that his intention was not personal grievance but accountability. “If something wrong happens, one option is not to speak a word about it. But I thought that the question was not about me. If other passengers also face the same issue, management should also know about it so that this situation doesn’t arise again,” he told reporters in Kurukshetra, Haryana.