Missed IndiGo flight costs ₹2.65 lakh, man blames ‘silent airport’; airline responds

A passenger travelling from Jaipur to Mumbai has accused IndiGo of poor handling and lack of support after he missed his flight — a situation he says led to a business loss of ₹2.65 lakh. Chayan Garg, who was headed to Mumbai for an important client meeting, shared his experience in a detailed post on LinkedIn. He claimed he arrived at Jaipur airport well in time for his early morning flight and cleared security by 5:10 AM.

“I was told boarding would begin in 10–15 minutes. The gate was full of people, so I quickly went to the washroom,” he wrote. However, when he returned 12 minutes later, he was informed that boarding had already closed.

“I was literally surprised as the boarding was supposed to start, not end,” Garg said.

He added that no announcement was made for his Mumbai flight, and when he questioned this, the staff said Jaipur is a “silent airport.” But Garg pointed out that another IndiGo flight to Dehradun had been announced just minutes earlier. “When I said that, the staff denied it straight to my face,” he alleged.

Garg said he pleaded with folded hands, explaining that his meeting was urgent. Despite his efforts, he was not allowed to board the flight. “No alternate option. No help with the next flight. No refund. No empathy,” he said.

According to Garg, the missed flight cost him a deal worth ₹2.65 lakh. “We lost the client. A month’s effort gone in seconds,” he wrote.

Calling the experience disheartening, he added, “This isn’t about one missed flight. It’s about accountability. It’s about humanity.”

He urged airlines to treat passengers with more fairness and kindness, especially during challenging situations like bad weather. Garg also appealed for help from those in the aviation industry on how to seek a refund or compensation.

Garg’s LinkedIn post swiftly went viral on social media, even prompting a response from the airline, who said: “Dear Mr Garg, we understand how disappointing it can be to miss a flight, and our carefully planned travel gets disrupted. However, as per our review, the boarding gate closed 25 minutes before departure, in line with standard procedure. Unfortunately, your arrival was after gate closure, by which time final preparations for take-off were already underway. Our airport team offered the next available flight to support you, and while we respect your decision not to proceed with it, we genuinely appreciate your patience and understanding. At IndiGo, we are committed to continuously working towards smoother, more seamless journeys for all our customers”.

Many took to the comments section to react. A user wrote, “I cannot imagine the number of people who have gone through something similar but were never properly compensated because they lack platform and people who would listen and I really hope this post helps all of them.”

Another argued, “This is strange, same flight, same situation, just from mumbai to jaipur, they literally gave me a call on my phone saying I am “late” and need to hurry up.”