IndiGo Passenger Suffers Shattered Ankle After Slippery Ramp Incident, Undergoes Surgery

Gurugram: A recent social media post by Gurgaon-based Ratnendu Ray has raised serious concerns about IndiGo's passenger safety protocols after a reported traumatic incident left him with a shattered ankle. Ray, in a post on his X handle, shared details of the events that took place on August 14, when he deboarded an IndiGo flight from Chennai at Delhi’s Terminal 2. He even shared an image of his shattered leg in his post describing the horrific incident. 

In his post on December 4, Ray recounted landing at Delhi's Terminal 2 on an IndiGo flight from Chennai early that morning. Describing how passengers were directed to deboard using a ramp instead of an aerobridge, he said, that it had been drizzling earlier, and though the rain had stopped by the time deboarding began, the ramp was dark and covered with a rubber mat. According to Ray, as he made his way down the slippery ramp, he lost his footing and suffered a severe ankle injury, leaving him with a "shattered" ankle.

Meanwhile, Ratnendu Ray’s social media post has drawn attention to potential safety lapses in the airline’s handling of ramp conditions, particularly in wet or low-visibility situations. The incident highlights the need for better lighting, safer surfaces, and more stringent safety measures during passenger deboarding. Ray is now facing a long road to recovery following the injury.

"I was walking down it at a normal pace. Halfway down the ramp, my right foot suddenly slipped on a moist patch. My ankle twisted, and I fell. The pain was excruciating, and I immediately knew something was seriously wrong," he wrote in the post that also accompanied pictures of his injury.

He was helped by a fellow passenger down the ramp before being taken to a hospital in Gurugram, where he was diagnosed with a trimalleolar fracture and ankle dislocation. “IndiGo staff put me in a wheelchair and got me to the clinic at the terminal, from where I was ambulanced to a hospital in Gurgaon. As expected, they determined that it was a dislocation of my ankle joint along with a trimalleolar fracture. Basically, the ankle was shattered,” he said in his post.

He claimed that his injury required surgery to insert a plate and screws, leaving him dependent on a walker and physiotherapy. As per the doctors, he now faces a year-long recovery, dealing with swelling, pain, and scars. Apart from physical impact, the incident has also impacted his personal and professional life, with trips and family visits postponed.

In the meantime, Ray filed a complaint on the AirSewa portal, requesting compensation for his medical expenses and the implementation of better safety measures for ramps. His suggestions included proper lighting, ushers, and increased aerobridge usage.

According to Ray, the airline denied the ramp was wet, implying his fall was due to personal negligence. “This is where IndiGo decided to add insult to my injury with their response. Both logic and basics of responsibility to customers about to take a hit.”

“In response, IndiGo customer service basically said (I am paraphrasing): 1) Ramp wasn't wet that could cause me to slip - implying I'm making it up or must have imagined the little damp patches. 2) I must be the idiot who can't walk down ramps as no one else fell that day. Of course, they were ‘unable to offer me compensation’. Not only has the surgery and hospitalisation cost me a ton, I have been unable to walk since mid-August, with potential full recovery at least a year away. To say nothing of the trauma for me and my family,” he said in his post.

Later, Ray researched the matter and it revealed this was not an isolated incident. Reports and complaints about IndiGo’s ramps being steep, slippery, and poorly lit have surfaced in news articles and on social media platforms, he claimed.

Ray concluded his post by urging passengers to exercise caution when using IndiGo's ramps. He also called on the airline to address safety issues by improving lighting, removing rubber mats, and prioritising aerobridge usage.

“So, please please be extra careful on IndiGo's ramps and pray they put some lights along the surface of the ramp, remove rubber mats and don't avoid aerobridges,” he said.

IndiGo has yet to issue a detailed response to the allegations.