Mumbai: A woman air passenger has claimed that the male co-pilot of an IndiGo flight ‘barged’ into a locked aircraft toilet even as she was using it. The airline admitted that the incident took place and apologised for the ‘inconvenience’ caused, even as the passenger said that she felt ‘shocked and utterly violated’.
The complainant in this case is Rhea Chatterji, co-founder of the gold merchandise platform Safegold. She said that she boarded a late-night flight on August 8 and entered the forward lavatory, which was unlocked at that time. She claimed that after locking the door, she heard a knock and responded to it. When there was another knock, she responded in a louder voice.
However, before she could complete her sentence, the door was forced open, and a male crew member, allegedly the co-pilot, looked at her while she was in a ‘vulnerable’ state. He purportedly said “oh” and shut the door.
“I felt shocked & utterly violated. To make matters worse, the female flight attendants then tried to downplay the incident, saying they were sorry for the “inconvenience” and were sure “he hadn’t seen anything”. I wanted to run as fast as I could away from that space. Instead, I had no choice but to return to my seat and spend the next 1.5 hours wishing I could be invisible. I felt such a deep sense of revulsion within my own body, and a complete feeling of being alone,” Chatterji posted on LinkedIn.
She further alleged that the crew downplayed her experience despite her repeated requests for space. She claimed that the captain and first officer were absent, and she was instructed to meet them inside the cockpit, which caused her significant anxiety due to her vulnerable situation. After landing, she reached out to IndiGo’s leadership team.
“After somehow making it home, I sent an email immediately to the top leadership at IndiGo, including their CEO. Sadly, Indigo’s idea of making this right was a few calls repeating this was an inconvenience and an email paying lip service full of corporate jargon, and saying that the individual conveyed “profound remorse”. Not once was this remorse or regret conveyed directly,” she added.
Chatterji clarified that her post was not about seeking compensation but rather to raise awareness, especially among women and parents with young children, about the airline’s handling of the incident.
IndiGo apologised, stating the incident was an inadvertent mistake, and assured that the crew had been counselled and training reinforced.
“Ms Chatterji, we profoundly apologise once again for the experience you went through due to an inadvertent mistake by one of our crew. Please be assured that your feedback has been taken with utmost seriousness. At IndiGo, the safety, dignity, and comfort of our customers remain our highest priority. We assure you that the crew has been counselled and sensitised, and in cognisance of this matter, we are reinforcing training to ensure such incidents are never repeated. We remain available should you wish for any further redressal and are fully committed to restoring your trust in us,” the airline replied, as stated by NDTV.
The apology did not go down well with LinkedIn users, who expressed disappointment over the handling of the incident. Many users shared their own experiences, emphasising that privacy and dignity should not be treated as an “inconvenience.” Some pointed out that aircraft lavatories have occupancy indicators, suggesting that the First Officer’s actions were not accidental.
