Passengers ‘denied’ boarding on Air India Express flight at Surat airport; video goes viral

Surat: A passenger has criticised Air India Express after he was denied boarding on a 6:35 pm flight despite reportedly reaching the boarding gate at 6:20 pm. A video of the incident, shared on social media, went viral and triggered mixed reactions from users.

Tarun Mishra, who has more than 3.5 million followers on Instagram, raised the issue in a video posted by his team member and fellow passenger Vikas Jha.

In the video, recorded at the boarding area, Mishra said he reached the gate at 6:20 pm but was not allowed to board despite making several requests. He said he also informed airline staff that he was travelling due to an urgent situation. Mishra alleged that Air India Express employees at the airport were rude and did not communicate properly with him.

The video garnered more than 8 million views within hours, with several users commenting that they had faced similar experiences with airlines.

Passengers ‘denied’ boarding on Air India Express flight at Surat airport; video goes viral garnering mixed reactionshttps://t.co/YfMKkki1ch pic.twitter.com/QCJf3Ocm74

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Some users criticised what they described as inconsistent treatment of passengers, arguing that airlines sometimes keep passengers waiting for extended periods when flights are delayed while strictly enforcing boarding cut-off times when passengers arrive late.

However, several users also questioned Mishra for reaching the boarding gate shortly before departure.

One user commented, “For a 6:35 flight, gates close sharp at 6:10. You are late. It’s not a bus, it has procedures before it can take off. High time, travellers educate themselves!”

Another user wrote that airlines are within their rules to deny boarding once the gate is closed. The user also said that VIP passengers typically inform airlines in advance and that travellers should reach the airport well before departure to complete security and other formalities.

In another detailed response, a user explained that “It’s important to understand that flying isn’t like boarding a bus. A lot happens before an aircraft can depart, load and trim calculations, centre-of-gravity checks, security procedures, documentation, regulatory requirements and several mandatory checks all have to be completed before the doors can be closed and the flight released. That’s precisely why boarding gates typically close 20–25 minutes before the scheduled departure time, and the final boarding time is clearly mentioned on your boarding pass. You’ve mentioned that you reached the gate 15 minutes before departure. By that time, it is highly unlikely that boarding can still be accommodated, regardless of whether the aircraft is physically at the gate. For once, the airline isn’t necessarily at fault here. The timelines exist for operational, safety and regulatory reasons, not simply as a matter of convenience.”

Air India Express responds

Air India Express also responded to Jha’s social media post, saying that the passenger had reached the boarding gate at 6:20 pm, while the flight was scheduled to depart at 6:35 pm.

“Hi Vikas, thank you for reaching out to us. As we checked, you have reported at the boarding gate at 18:20, while the flight was scheduled to depart at 18:35. We would like to inform you that boarding gates close 25 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time, and multiple announcements were made requesting guests to proceed for boarding. Thank you for your understanding and feedback.” the airline said.

The response also triggered mixed reactions on social media. While some users supported the airline and highlighted the operational and safety procedures that need to be completed before a flight departs, others backed Mishra, saying they had encountered similar situations at airports.

Passenger travelled by taxi to Ahmedabad

Mishra said he had to attend the World Happiness Summit in Bengaluru. After missing the Surat flight, he hired a taxi to Ahmedabad during the night.

He then took a 4:50 am flight from Ahmedabad and reached Bengaluru at around 7 am.

According to Mishra, the airline did not provide a refund or an alternative travel arrangement. DeshGujarat