Former AirAsia CEO misses Chennai conference after IndiGo flight takes off without him, he says boarding not announced

“I was looking at the board, it still said security. They hadn’t announced the boarding and therefore, why would I go and wait at the gate?” Gopalan said, adding that the lounge was only a “2-3 minute” walk from the boarding gate.

He claimed he received a call from airline staff at around 3.05 pm asking where he was. “I immediately looked up the board. It still said security… I said, how can it leave because the boarding has not yet been announced?” he recalled.

When he rushed to the gate, he was allegedly informed that final boarding announcements had already been made. “So the flight left us. It just left without me. And the ground staff were super rude,” Gopalan said, alleging that one staff member told him, “Just because you wanted to eat good food, you cannot delay our flight, so we left it without you.”

 

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In a follow-up video, Gopalan said airline representatives argued that frequent flyers should be aware that gates close 25 minutes before departure. He rejected this explanation, saying, “I don’t even know when the departure is going to happen… you moved the flight from 2.55 to 3.10, 3.15, 3.25,” and maintained that the display board had not been updated accurately, leading him to believe the flight would be delayed further.

He also alleged that he was initially asked to pay a “minimal charge” of Rs 3,000 to be rebooked, which was later reduced to Rs 1,800 after intervention by an airport manager. Gopalan said he, a colleague, and another passenger who had also been waiting in the lounge were eventually accommodated on a later flight, causing him to miss a conference in Chennai.

 

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Sharing footage of his exchange with ground staff, Gopalan wrote, “There was ZERO intent to listen to my side of the story and more importantly, deflect the blame to me when they knew they were at fault. I was told I was careless. I was told I sat in some other place. I was told I missed the flight because I wanted good food… None of this is true.”

“I am not angry. I am plain disappointed. If this is not arrogance what is?” he added. “Why blame passengers when the mistake is on your part? Your own guys lied to me saying the gate numbers printed on the boarding pass when it is not. When asked, the blame was deflected to me.”

 

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IndiGo reacts

Soon after the videos took over social media, IndiGo responded. “We truly understand how concerning it can be to miss a flight, and the inconvenience this may have caused you. As checked, an interim issue impacted the Flight Information Display System, the management of which falls within the purview of the airport operator. Meanwhile, our team proceeded in accordance with the standard boarding protocol and made the requisite final boarding announcement,” the airline wrote.

IndiGo further highlighted that Gopalan failed to reach the gate in time. “However, we understand that you were unable to reach the gate in time, following which our airport team assisted you with an alternate flight to ensure you could continue your journey. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you onboard again for a smoother and more pleasant experience,” it added.