NEW DELHI: Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan‘s seat on the Air India airbus that flew him Bhopal-Delhi Saturday was not “broken”. That, sources say, is the new light seat increasingly chosen by airlines to keep aircraft weight low and help save fuel burn with the lean cushion taking all the passenger weight, giving the effect of being sunken.
“The seat was reclining and not broken. It has been checked by engineers. But the lean cushioning often gives a sunken feel, especially during turbulence when flyers may feel the seat is moving,” said sources. A senior DGCA official said on Sunday evening Air India was yet to submit its report on the Union minister’s experience.
The former Madhya Pradesh CM wrote on X Saturday: “I had booked a ticket on AI 436. I was allotted seat number 8C. I went and sat on the seat, the seat was broken and sunken in. Sitting was uncomfortable…. Not just one, there are more such seats….”
It is learnt that a number of seats had “sunken” or thinned cushioning. The minister had written on X: “After charging passengers full amount, seating them on a bad and uncomfortable seat is unethical. Is this not cheating the passengers? Will Air India management take steps so that in the future no passenger faces such discomfort, or will it keep taking advantage of passengers’ urgency to reach their destination?” Air India has apologised to Chouhan.
With the advent of low cost carriers, air travel is no longer a luxury. The comfort factor, once associated with flying, is gradually giving way to a more frugal onboard experience. Light seats with low cushioning on aircraft are one of the new realities of contemporary aviation.