Go First plane takes off from Bengaluru airport leaving 55 passengers behind; DGCA seeks report

As per a report on ANI, a Delhi-bound Go First plane on reportedly left the Bengaluru International Airport without taking more than 50 passengers, leaving them behind in the shuttle bus. Following the incident, India's aviation regulator DGCA has sought a detailed report from the domestic budget airline. Many passengers complained on Twitter, tagging the Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, asking him to look into the incident. The flight G8 116 departed at 6.40 am on January 9, 2023, leaving behind the passengers, they alleged. Go First declined to comment on the incident. 

As per the reports, a group of passengers, who were waiting in a shuttle bus for boarding, were left behind at the tarmac, as the flight took off with only a few passengers. Some passengers alleged on social media that a busload of passengers were not taken onboard the Go First flight from Bengaluru to Delhi. In response to one of the tweets, the airline urged the users to share their details and said: "We regret the inconvenience caused".

@DGCAIndia @Officejmscindia @AmitShahOffice @official_Arnab_ Go first G8 116 flight Blore-delhi, 54 passengers were left in the bus post final on-board, the flight took off with luggages and left 54 passengers at the airport, serious security branch. passenger's are struggling. pic.twitter.com/MhwG7vI7UZ — Neeraj Bhat (@neerajbhat001) January 9, 2023

"Flight G8 116 (BLR-DEL) flew leaving passengers on ground! More than 50 passengers on 1 bus were left on ground & the flight took off with just passengers of 1 bus on boarded. Is @GoFirstairways @JM_Scindia @PMOIndia operating in sleep? No Basic checks!" said a tweet from a passenger named Satish Kumar.

Another passenger Shreya Sinha too complained on Twitter, saying, "most horrifying experience with @GoFirstairways 5:35 am Boarded the bus for aircraft 6:30 am Still in bus stuffed with over 50 passengers, driver stopped the bus after being forced. Flight G8 116 takes off, leaving 50+ passengers. Heights of negligence! @DGCAIndia".

A senior official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said, "We have sought a report from the airline and appropriate action shall be taken afterwards". 53 out of 55 passengers were shifted to another airline for Delhi and onward, while remaining 2 asked for a refund which was paid by the airline.

With agency inputs