'Why was boarding allowed even after...': Passenger shares how lizard created panic in IndiGo flight, others deboarded

Sanjeev Varshney, a Professor of Marketing at XLRI, shared a troubling incident on LinkedIn involving his family and an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Ranchi. His LinkedIn post brought attention to the issues of passenger safety and social sensitivity after a lizard caused significant disruptions on the flight.

According to Varshney’s account, his wife and 12-year-old son noticed a black lizard on the plane while boarding. Concerned for the safety and comfort of everyone on board, Varshney’s wife immediately reported the sighting to a flight attendant. The attendant advised her not to discuss the issue publicly to avoid causing panic and assured her that the ground staff would handle the situation.

"Are Indians socially responsible? Today (1st Sep) my wife and my 12 year old son boarded an IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd) flight from Mumbai to Ranchi . While boarding my son and wife saw a black color lizard in the plane . After taking their own seat (some 7 seats behind the seat on which they saw lizard) my wife informed the air hostess about the lizard . To which she told my wife madam please do not talk about it or else it will create panic," he added.

"She has informed the ground staff and they will take care of it . Let the boarding happen . My wife did not speak about it . After some time the ground staff came and took my wife out of plane and asked about the complete incidence . They asked my wife to sit in row one as against her pre- allocated seat in row 32. The ground staff came with some brooms and bucket etc to catch the lizard along with some spray as well . Even After lot of effort could not catch it . Finally they arranged for another plane and asked all to deboard," he said on the platform.

"While deboarding many co passengers started abusing my son . They were saying how can somebody be afraid of lizard and because of him the flight got delayed . Many were saying there are lizards at home as well do you vacate the house because of them . The staff did not wanted to take a chance and just requested people to deboard and asked my wife to ignore these people . My son is feeling victimised since then . My complain , how can a lizard enter an aircraft , why was boarding permitted even after my wife reported about it . Finally how insensitive are people, they are not bothered that during flight if lizard starts running here and there will it not create a panic among people . How can they blame my son ? India become sensitive and socially responsible to others," Sanjeev Varshney, Professor of Marketing at XLRI wrote in a post.

Despite the flight crew’s assurances, the lizard was not caught promptly. The ground staff boarded the aircraft, removed Varshney’s family, and attempted to capture the lizard using brooms, a bucket, and a spray. Their efforts were unsuccessful. Ultimately, the airline decided to cancel the flight and arrange a replacement, leading to the deboarding of all passengers.

During the deboarding process, Varshney reported that many fellow passengers directed angry comments towards his son. Some criticized the child for causing the delay, while others questioned why they could not tolerate a lizard, suggesting that it was no different from having a lizard at home.

The incident left Varshney’s son feeling victimized, and Varshney expressed his concerns about the situation in his post. He questioned how the lizard had entered the aircraft and why boarding had been allowed despite the reported issue. He also raised concerns about the insensitivity of the passengers who blamed his son for the disruption.

In his post, Varshney urged for greater social responsibility and sensitivity in dealing with such situations. He highlighted the potential safety risks of having a lizard on the plane, including the possibility of it causing panic during the flight. Varshney emphasized the need for a more empathetic response from both the airline and fellow passengers.

IndiGo, in a statement said, "IndiGo Flight 6E831, scheduled to depart from Mumbai to Ranchi on September 1, 2024, was delayed due to an incoming aircraft being found in an unsatisfactory condition. An alternate aircraft was promptly arranged to operate the flight. IndiGo strictly adhered to all necessary security procedures throughout the incident. The airline regrets the inconvenience caused and prioritizes the safety and well-being of its customers and crew."