BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill criticizes Air India’s service, calls it 'worst airline'

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill criticized Air India for poor service, broken seats, and inadequate customer support.

His comments follow similar complaints made by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on Feb 24. While complaining of damaged seats and other issues, Shergill presented national carrier Air India with a slew of "Oscar" prizes in the "worst airlines" category.

Shergill said, "Flying Air India is not a pleasant experience, but today (it) broke all records!" in an X post. "If there was an Oscar equivalent for WORST AIRLINES, Air India would win hands down in every category: > Broken Seats > Worst Staff > Pathetic "on Ground" Support Staff > Give two hoots attitude about customer service!" he said in a post.

Nine hours later, the airline replied, "Dear Mr Shergill. We apologize for the inconvenience caused. Kindly share travel details with us via DM. We'll get in touch with you."

Several additional Air India customers raised their concerns after the brief encounter, with one calling the airline "just horrible and pathetic" and another claiming that despite having paid for a business class ticket, he was given a seat in the economy part of the aircraft.

Many, however, nevertheless defended the airline, pointing out that after the takeover in Jan 2022, the now-Tata-owned business is still improving its fleet and service standards.

After Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed his own dissatisfaction, Shergill's negative review is just more bad news for the airline, regardless of the different views.

Chouhan said in an X post last week that he was given a damaged seat on a year-old Airbus A321 during his flight from Bhopal to Delhi. "I went and sat on the seat; the seat was broken and sunk in. Sitting was uncomfortable," the ex-Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said.

"When I asked the airline staff why the seat had been allotted to me if it was bad. They told me the management had been informed that this seat was not good, and a ticket should not be sold. There is not just one such seat but many more..." he said in a post in Hindi.

"My co-passengers requested me to change my seat... but why should I trouble another friend for my sake? I decided that I would complete my journey by sitting on this same seat," he added.

After criticizing the airlines' "unethical" business strategy of offering damaged seats to passengers who have paid the full cost, Chouhan questioned the airline's future under its new owners.

The airline reacted, saying, "Dear Sir, we apologize for the inconvenience caused. Please rest assured we are looking into this matter carefully to prevent such occurrences." Union Aviation Minister and cabinet colleague Ram Mohan Naidu also responded to Chouhan's message.

Naidu said that he had asked the airline to take measures after speaking with Chouhan. The opposition Congress party took a dig at the situation, saying, "Passengers are troubled in trains, passengers are distressed on planes. People keep complaining and keep making videos, but there is no action."

"Now, since Shivrajji has faced a problem and is tweeting—maybe action will be taken on this,” the party added.

Air India rejoined the Tata Group three years ago after the Tatas paid ₹18,000 crore, including ₹2,700 crore in cash and taking on significant debt.

Since then, the airline has undergone extensive rebranding and fleet upgrades, including a massive order for 250 Airbus planes and 220 Boeing planes, with options for 370 more. Additionally, Air India has merged with Vistara, another airline under the Tata Group.