Watch: Chaos Erupts on Thailand-Bound IndiGo Flight as Pilot Refuses to Fly

Chaos broke out onboard an IndiGo flight bound for Thailand after a prolonged delay led to angry confrontations between passengers and cabin crew, forcing the airline to offload unruly flyers and causing further disruption to the journey.

The incident took place on IndiGo flight 6E 1085 from Mumbai to Krabi on Thursday. The aircraft, scheduled to depart at 4.05 am, eventually took off more than three hours behind schedule, significantly delaying arrival at the popular Thai resort destination.

Heated scenes erupt inside delayed aircraft

Videos circulating on social media showed tense scenes unfolding inside the cabin as frustrated passengers confronted airline staff over the delay. Travellers alleged that the pilot had refused to operate the flight, citing that his duty hours had ended.

During the argument, one passenger could be heard shouting, "What about our plans that we have had?" Another passenger used abusive language while confronting a crew member, asking, "Why the f*** is he hiding like a f***ing rat?" The footage also showed a passenger kicking the aircraft's exit door amid the chaos.

IndiGo cites operational constraints

In a statement, IndiGo explained that the delay was caused by multiple operational issues. According to the airline, the flight was held up due to a "combination of reasons, including late arrival of incoming aircraft, air traffic congestion, and crew exceeding their duty time limitations".

The airline maintained that all actions taken were in line with safety regulations and aviation protocols.

Unruly passengers removed from flight

IndiGo confirmed that two passengers were declared unruly due to their behaviour during the waiting period. "Two of the customers onboard behaved inappropriately during the wait time and were declared unruly," the airline said.

"As per protocol, they were deboarded and handed over to the security agencies, resulting in further delays," the statement added. The airline also said that meals and refreshments were served multiple times to help ease passenger discomfort during the extended delay.

Flight reaches Krabi hours behind schedule

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft, which was scheduled to land in Krabi at 10 am, finally touched down at around 1 pm.

IndiGo, which has faced operational disruptions in recent weeks, said it regretted the inconvenience caused. "We remain committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all and regret the inconvenience caused to our customers," the airline added.