The angry flier who attacked the pilot on a Delhi-Goa flight yesterday over extended delay also threatened him to open the gate if it’s not departing soon.
Sahil Kataria charged at the flight’s co-captain Anup Kumar and assaulted him when he was announcing a further delay in departure, showed a viral video. Clad in a yellow hoodie, he leaped over a food trolley to hit Mr Kumar, who had just replaced the previous crew as per the norms.
“Chalana hai chala, nahi chalana mat chala, khol gate (fly if you want to, otherwise open the gate),” he was heard screaming at the pilot before he was dragged away by a co-flier.
He was handed over to the police at the Delhi airport and while deboarding he was seen apologizing with his folded hands. “Sir, I am sorry,” he is heard telling the person filming him. “No sorry, you raised hands on me,” replies the captain (not seen in the video).
The pilot later lodged a complaint against the passenger, based on which a police case was filed. He is now in police custody.
The incident occurred on the IndiGo flight 6E-2175, an Airbus A20N model that was parked at the Delhi airport for over 10 hours.
The disturbing video was shared widely on social media with users condemning the passenger and the shocking scene of physical violence.
“A disturbing trend. Fog and weather conditions are not under the control of any Airlines. Passengers need to understand that it’s for their safety that precaution is maintained,” a user said.
Weather conditions in and around the national capital region have been poor for several days, with heavy fog reducing visibility and leading to multiple delays, cancellations, and diversions daily.
This morning, at least 168 flights were delayed and nearly 100 cancelled at the Delhi airport.
