Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan blasts Air India after being allotted 'broken' seat; airline apologises

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan hit out at Air India after he was allegedly allotted a broken seat on the flight. In a social post, the minister argued that it's unethical to make passengers sit on bad and uncomfortable seats after charging them the full amount.

Chouhan was flying from Bhopal to Delhi—where he had to attend multiple farm events—when he allegedly faced the bitter experience.

"I had booked a ticket on Air India flight number AI436, I was allotted seat number 8C. I went and sat on the seat, the seat was broken and sunken in. It was uncomfortable to sit," he wrote on X.

The minister said the airline staff told him during a conversation that they had already requested the management that the ticket for this seat should not be sold as it was damaged.

"My co-passengers requested me to change my seat and sit on a better seat but why should I trouble another friend for my sake, I decided that I would complete my journey by sitting on this same seat," he said.

Chouhan came down heavily on the airline for the poor service and accused it of "cheating" the passengers.

"My impression was that Air India's service would have improved after Tata took over the management, but it turned out to be my misconception. I don't care about sitting discomfort, but it is unethical to make passengers sit on bad and uncomfortable seats after charging them the full amount. Isn't this cheating the passengers?," he asked.

In reply to the minister's message, Air India tendered an apology and said they are examining the issue.

"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," it said.