Customers can be demanding, even abusive, but staff must be civil in dealing with issues
For the large part, the staff of IndiGo Airlines are pleasant people doing what can be a very stressful job. The airline which expects to surpass the thousand-flights-a-day mark next month has been an Indian success story, and that is evident not just in the fact that it is the preferred airline of two of every five Indian air travellers. It has also been a successful story for the airline on the bourses, where it is, forgive the pun, flying high.
But the recent incident which came to light where ground staff crew of the airline is seen assaulting a passenger is unpardonable. The entire video clip, though not the edited version, clearly shows that the passenger acted like an entitled individual and was abusive to airline staff. That is also inexcusable. But for the airline staff to then attack with a degree of viciousness this man, who did not pose a threat, was nothing short of a massive overreaction. Disproportionate reponses are not something the service industry can afford. The Ministry of Civil Aviation in consultation with airlines has correctly come up with a system to put passengers on a 'no-fly’ list after regrettable incidents with some elected legislators and that could have been used as a punishment for the passenger’s misbehaviour. As for the abusive language that the passenger used, he should still be given a stern warning or even a short-term punishment under the new rules. But at the same time, the airline employees who were violent should be banned from working in the industry and on that front the action by the Ministry to withdraw their security accreditation is commendable because it is clear the airline would not have acted.
However, given rising levels of frustration and the potential for one-sided narratives, it might be worthwhile for airline staff and planes to have closed-circuit TV recorders or have some personnel wear body cameras like Delhi Police does. The problem with narratives based on incomplete information is that they can be, and usually are, shockingly one-sided.
At the same time passengers should realise that bad behaviour is not acceptable and bravado on the tarmac can and will be seen as a potential security breach. While only a small percentage of Indians fly, those who do have little option but to fly and losing flight privileges would be strict punishment. Civility on both sides would be very welcome. While we cannot return to the golden era of flying when passengers were on their best behaviour and even dressed for the occasion while airline staff laid out the red carpet on the hospitality front because of the chore it is now, catching a flight does not have to be as unwelcoming as it has become.