BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal hits out at IndiGo over lost baggage

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal has strongly criticised IndiGo after his checked-in baggage went missing on a flight from New Delhi to Belagavi. He demanded an immediate explanation from IndiGo’s CEO and urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to intervene.

New Delhi: BJP’s Lok Sabha member Praveen Khandelwal criticised IndiGo on Friday, referring to the airline’s baggage mishandling as “shameful” during his recent flight, and highlighted the increasing concerns about passenger experience at the nation’s busiest airlines.

Khandelwal Member of Parliament from Chandni Chowk and Secretary General of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), who flew on flight 6E‑5237 from New Delhi to Belagavi (Karnataka), said he reached his destination but his checked‑in baggage did not — and there has been no clarity on its whereabouts, causing “immense mental agony, serious inconvenience and financial loss” as he was forced to buy essential clothing and items.

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Crucially, he said the lost luggage also contained important and valuable documents, making the situation “even more distressing”.

Khandelwal’s social media post on X highlighted that such negligence and poor baggage management are completely unacceptable, particularly when experienced by a sitting Member of Parliament. “If this is the experience extended to a Member of Parliament, one can only imagine the plight of ordinary passengers,” he wrote, stressing the need for accountability and better passenger care.

Tagging Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, Khandelwal demanded an “immediate explanation” from the airline for the mishandling of his baggage and sought clarity on corrective measures being taken.

He also appealed to Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, saying the episode “reflects deeply concerning operational standards at IndiGo” and called for immediate intervention by the government to safeguard passenger interests and uphold service quality.

The complaint comes amid broader scrutiny of IndiGo’s operational challenges, including past flight disruptions and customer grievances over cancellations, delays, refunds and baggage issues that have drawn regulatory attention.

Officials from the airline were yet to respond to the specific baggage complaint at the time of reporting.