Passenger Blames Indigo for Ankle Fracture, Airline Denies Compensation

An Indigo passenger recently shared his harrowing ordeal on social media. The Gurgaon-based man, Ratnendu Ray, described his traumatic experience and blamed the airline for an ankle injury. The incident reportedly occurred on August 14, leaving Ray with a fracture and ankle dislocation.

In a post on X, he recounted the incident that took place at Delhi airport's Terminal 2. The man emphasized that instead of using an aerobridge, passengers were asked to deboard using a ramp, which he noted is a "common" practice for the airline. He also mentioned that it was drizzling, and although the rain had stopped when deboarding began, the ramp was dark and covered with a rubber mat.

"I was walking down 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.

A fellow passenger reportedly helped Ray walk down, and he was rushed to a hospital in Gurgaon, where he was diagnosed with a trimalleolar fracture and ankle dislocation.
 

"Indigo staff put me in a wheelchair and took 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 added.

While undergoing surgery, he filed a complaint on the AirSewa portal, demanding compensation for his injury and suggesting better lighting, ushers, and increased use of aerobridges.

Ray now faces a year-long recovery, as his surgery required the insertion of a plate and screws. The incident has also impacted his personal and professional life, with trips and family visits postponed.

However, the airline has denied providing any compensation. Ray added to his post, criticizing Indigo's response, calling it "an insult to his injury."

"In response, IndiGo customer service basically said (I am paraphrasing): 1) The ramp wasn’t wet enough to cause me to slip, implying I’m making it up or must have imagined the 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 hospitalization cost me a ton, but I’ve also been unable to walk since mid-August, with a potential full recovery at least a year away. To say nothing of the trauma for me and my family," he said in his post.

Ray did further research on the matter and shared that it was 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.

"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 added.