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Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said he was assigned a defective seat on a flight to Delhi and chose to travel in that same seat to avoid inconveniencing other passengers.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan shared his ‘uncomfortable’ flight experience with Air India. (PTI)
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan shared an “uncomfortable” flight experience with Air India, slamming the airline for “basically cheating passengers” and calling for steps to ensure public convenience.
Taking to social media platform X, Chouhan said, “Today, I was supposed to travel from Bhopal to Delhi, where I had to attend the inauguration of the Kisan Mela in Pusa, a meeting for the Natural Farming Mission in Kurukshetra, and discussions with the honourable representatives of farmers’ organisations in Chandigarh.”
“I had booked a ticket on Air India flight number AI436 and I was allotted seat number 8C. When I sat down, the seat was broken and sunken. It was uncomfortable to sit there,” he added.
आज मुझे भोपाल से दिल्ली आना था, पूसा में किसान मेले का उद्घाटन, कुरुक्षेत्र में प्राकृतिक खेती मिशन की बैठक और चंडीगढ़ में किसान संगठन के माननीय प्रतिनिधियों से चर्चा करनी है।मैंने एयर इंडिया की फ्लाइट क्रमांक AI436 में टिकिट करवाया था, मुझे सीट क्रमांक 8C आवंटित हुई। मैं जाकर…
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 22, 2025
Chouhan said when he asked airline staff why he was allocated a defective seat, they told him that the management had already informed him that the seat was not in good condition and it should not have been sold on a ticket, adding that there were more defective seats.
“My co-passengers requested me to change to a better seat, but I decided not to inconvenience another passenger and chose to complete my journey in that uncomfortable seat. 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,” he said.
Chouhan asserted that he was not concerned about the discomfort of his seat but believed it was unethical to make passengers sit on defective seats after charging full fare. “Isn’t this cheating the passengers?” he said.
“Will the Air India management take steps to ensure that no passenger faces such inconvenience in future or will it continue to take advantage of the passengers’ compulsion to reach their destination early?” he added.
Air India Apologises, Civil Aviation Minister Assures Action
Air India apologised to the Union Minister and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister. “Air India deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to Hon’ble Union Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan 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,” it said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu spoke to Chouhan and assured him of action. He also asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to examine the matter and suggest corrective measures immediately.
Last month, an Air India flight from Mumbai to Dubai, initially scheduled to depart at 8:25 am, was delayed by several hours, with passengers being “locked” inside it for nearly five hours. This prompted passengers to bang on the overhead bins and demand the crew open the doors.
Prior to that, a passenger claimed the airline allotted the business class seat initially assigned to him and his four-year-old son to a crew member and forced them to travel economy class. He also slammed Air India for leaving his son’s stroller back in Delhi.