Furious plane passenger attacks pilot after 13-hour flight delay was confirmed

21 January 2024 , 07:12

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Furious plane passenger attacks pilot after 13-hour flight delay was confirmed

A plane passenger lashed out at a pilot onboard the flight after being told the journey would be delayed by at least 13 hours.

Passengers were left stunned in their seats when the man ran up the aisle and launched a right-hook toward the captain. The IndiGo pilot was forced to retreat into the cockpit, as air hostesses wheel a trolley between the attacker and captain to separate the pair.

The flight from Delhi to Goa in India was initially scheduled to take off on Sunday January 14, but was delayed due to fog and poor visibility. But, there was a further delay when the pilot announced the cabin crew would be replaced before taking off, as they'd gone over their work time quota.

An angry passenger whacked a plane pilot after he announced their flight was delayed 13 hours (Jam Press Vid/TIM)

The man in a yellow hoodie launched himself at the captain at the front of the jet (Jam Press Vid/TIM)

The quota is designed to make sure staff aren't fatigued and worn down after lengthy shifts, and is a safety issue. However, a passenger in a yellow hoodie was clearly incensed by the delay, and decided to swipe at the pilot. He was heard shouting: "If you want to fly, then fly the plane... otherwise open the door!"

The passenger was seen being escorted off the plane (Jam Press Vid/TIM)

The pilot and the airline have both official complaints against the man (Jam Press Vid/TIM)

A second passenger was seen trying to calm him down, while other cabin crew rushed to defend their colleague. One crew member shouted: "This is wrong what you did. You cannot do this."

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The passenger was later seen being escorted off the plane before reportedly apologising to the pilot. But, the pilot and airline have both launched complaints against the man. Meanwhile, there were a series of delays to IndiGo flights last weekend, owing to the bad weather.

One flight saw furious passengers stage an impromptu protest on the runway tarmac. They were asked to alight the plane after the delay was announced, but the passengers instead collected food packets and sat down on the tarmac next to the plane to have their dinner.

Matt Atherton