Go First flight takes off as 50-odd flyers wait in bus; DGCA seeks report

Plane journeys seem to be becoming a risky affair. After two instances of drunk passengers peeing in the cabin and reports of mid-air fights and quarrels coming in recently, more than 50 Go First passengers were left stranded in a bus at Bengaluru airport on Monday as their flight took off with their luggage for Delhi. Aviation regulator DGCA has asked the airline for a report.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Tuesday it was “looking into the matter” even as the aggrieved passengers took to Twitter to slam Go First and report their “most horrifying experience.” The airline reportedly accommodated the stranded passengers on another flight four hours later.

Standard response from airline

The Bengaluru-Delhi flight G8 116 was scheduled to take off from Kempegowda International Airport around 6.30 am on Monday. Four buses were used to take passengers to the tarmac to board the aircraft. While three buses made it to the aircraft, the fourth one, with some 55 passengers, was allegedly kept waiting even as the Go First plane took off.

Also read: Two passengers offloaded from Go First flight for ‘misbehaving’ with cabin crew

The passengers posted their complaints on Twitter with these details, tagging the airline, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office. They had their boarding passes, and their bags were checked in. They were reportedly accommodated on another Go First flight that left around 10 am.

Most horrifying experience with @GoFirstairways
5:35 am Boarded the bus for aircraft
6:30 am Still in bus stuffed with over 50 passengers, driver stopped the bus after being forced.
Flight G8 116 takes off, leaving 50+ passengers.
Heights of negligence! @DGCAIndia

— Shreya Sinha (@SinhaShreya_) January 9, 2023

Go First Airways posted a standard response to the passengers’ tweets: “We regret the inconvenience caused.” It is yet to come up with any official statement on the lapse.

Media reports quoted a DGCA official as saying, “We have sought a report from the airline and appropriate action shall be taken afterwards.”

Also read: Pee-gate: Air India’s response is too late, too little

“Most horrifying experience”

Shreya Sinha, who was one of the passengers to be left behind, tweeted, “Most horrifying experience with @GoFirstairways. 5:35 am Boarded the bus for aircraft. 6:30 am Still in bus stuffed with over 50 passengers, driver stopped the bus after being forced. Flight G8 116 takes off, leaving 50+ passengers. Heights of negligence! @DGCAIndia”

Another Twitter user, Satish Kumar, shared a screenshot of a ticket. It was not clear whether he was a passenger from his tweet that went, “Flight G8 116 (BLR – DEL) flew leaving passengers on ground! More than 50 passengers on 1 bus were left on ground and the flight took off with just passengers of 1 bus onboarded. Is @GoFirstairways@JM_Scindia @PMOIndia operating in sleep? No Basic checks.”

Flight G8 116 (BLR – DEL) flew leaving passengers on ground! More than 50 passengers on 1 bus was left on ground & flight took off with just passengers of 1 bus on boarded. Is @GoFirstairways @JM_Scindia @PMOIndia
operating in sleep? No Basic checks. pic.twitter.com/QSPoCisIfc

— Satish Kumar (@Satishk98130718) January 9, 2023

This news comes amid a range of bizarre and outrageous incidents being reported on flights. While a man has been arrested for allegedly urinating on a septuagenarian female co-passenger in an Air India flight on November 26, another was released after he offered a written apology for urinating on a female co-passenger’s blanket on December 6. Fisticuffs among passengers and rude behaviour with cabin crew have also been reported.

(With agency inputs)