A shocking incident has unfolded at Jaipur Airport, where renowned branding consultant Chayan Garg incurred a loss of ₹2.65 lakh simply because he went to the restroom before boarding—only to return and find his flight had departed.
Business: IndiGo, considered India's largest airline, is once again under scrutiny for its customer service. This time, the issue involves branding consultant Chayan Garg, whose flight was missed because he went to the restroom and returned to find the boarding gate closed.
Garg was traveling from Jaipur to Mumbai for a crucial business meeting. He arrived at the airport at 4:40 AM and completed his security check by 5:10 AM. After completing airport procedures, an IndiGo staff member informed him that boarding would commence in 10-15 minutes. During this time, Garg went to the restroom. However, upon returning 12 minutes later, the boarding gate was closed, and his flight had already departed.
Boarding Closed; No Call, No Announcement
Most surprisingly, there was no announcement regarding the boarding closure, nor did anyone contact Garg. When he inquired about the reason, he was informed that Jaipur Airport is a ‘silent airport,’ meaning announcements are not made. However, Garg claims he heard announcements for a flight to Dehradun at the same airport, making IndiGo's silence even more questionable. The airline staff neither offered an alternative arrangement, a refund, nor displayed any cooperative attitude.
Mumbai Meeting Missed, Major Client Lost
Garg states that the Mumbai meeting was extremely important. He was scheduled to meet a major client for the first time, and a deal worth approximately ₹2.65 lakh depended on this meeting. Missing the flight resulted in him missing the meeting, and the client canceled the deal. He expressed deep disappointment and attributed the incident to the airline's negligence. He stated, "This is not just about missing a flight; it exemplifies a lack of professional responsibility and humanity."
LinkedIn Post Goes Viral
Garg shared this experience on LinkedIn, and the post quickly went viral. He wrote: Is this the service policy of India's number one airline? We talk big about customer experience, but when a real customer needs help, the system disappears completely. No empathy, no understanding, only procedure and rigidity.
The post elicited varied reactions. Many users expressed sympathy for Garg, while others questioned the airlines' silent airport policy.
‘Silent Airport’ or Systemic Failure?
While Jaipur Airport's 'silent airport' policy might justify the lack of announcements, experts believe that personally informing passengers in such situations is the airline's responsibility. According to a senior aviation expert, if a passenger is in the gate area after security checks, the airline should contact them until the last moment, especially if they are nearby. Contacting via call or message is a basic customer care practice.
No Official Response from IndiGo
IndiGo has yet to issue an official response to this matter. Neither has it responded to Garg's viral social media post. Analysts suggest that such incidents are not merely a passenger's problem but highlight a major weakness in India's aviation sector—where procedure often overshadows humanity.
