Man Allegedly Kicked Off Flight For Complaining About Mosquito Problem

One of India’s busiest airlines is at the center of a controversial story once again. IndiGo caught flack for allegedly removing a doctor from a flight because he was complaining about mosquitoes on the plane, New Indian Express reported.

Dr. Saurabh Rai was hopping between major Indian cities, flying from Lucknow to Bangalore. He alleged that he was “manhandled” and “even threatened” by the crew of the airplane for his complaints about the overabundance of mosquitoes in the cabin.

Testimony from some Twitter users confirmed the presence of mosquitoes on IndiGo flights. Video of passengers swatting away the menacing, disease-carrying pests on a plane at the Lucknow airport was uploaded by the Tribune, a north India publication.

IndiGo released a statement addressing the incident, per New Indian Express. The airline claimed Rai’s complaints were not enough to get him booted from the flight on their own. Rather, the airline claimed he became threatening and unruly, even allegedly encouraging damage to the aircraft.

According to IndiGo, the final straw was when he used the word “hijack.” At that point, the airline decided to remove him from the plane. IndiGo also said it cannot fumigate flights after passengers have boarded, meaning any mosquitoes in the cabin are there to stay.

Suresh Prabhu, India's Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, said he was looking into the incident.

IndiGo is the most widely used airline in India, but has not been a stranger to customer service complaints over the years.

The airline in November came under scrutiny after video emerged of staff members getting violent with a passenger on the tarmac in a Delhi airport.