Woman damages ₹49,000 worth of airport equipment after IndiGo flight cancellation in Bhubaneswar

A woman passenger allegedly damaged airport equipment worth around ₹49,000 at Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport after an IndiGo flight to Kolkata was cancelled due to a technical issue, prompting authorities to file a police complaint against her, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

The passenger, identified as Mamoni Kharat, was allegedly involved in a heated confrontation in the departure lounge on August 13. The incident took place in the presence of officials from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), IndiGo and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

What happened at the airport

According to the complaint filed with the Airfield police station, Kharat was scheduled to travel to Kolkata on IndiGo flight 6E 7352. The flight was cancelled after a technical snag was detected during the aircraft’s mandatory pre-departure inspection.

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During the disruption, the passenger allegedly damaged a monitor, a keyboard and a passport-swiping machine at the airport. AAI estimated the total loss from the damaged equipment at ₹49,000.

The authorities have accused Kharat of unruly behaviour, damaging airport property and creating a ruckus in the departure lounge.

IndiGo explains flight cancellation

IndiGo said flight 6E 7352, scheduled to operate from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata on August 13, was cancelled after a technical issue was identified during the mandatory pre-departure inspection.

"IndiGo flight 6E 7352, scheduled to operate from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata on August 13, 2026, was cancelled due to a technical snag identified during the mandatory pre-departure inspection of the aircraft. We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers and took all efforts to minimise the same, including offering them regular updates, refreshments, accommodation and alternate travel options or full refunds as applicable," IndiGo said in a statement.

The airline said one passenger was declared unruly after allegedly causing damage to airport property and was handed over to the relevant security agencies.

"During this, one of the customers who caused damage to the airport property was declared unruly and handed over to the relevant security agencies in line with standard operating procedures. We thank our customers for their patience and understanding. At IndiGo, the safety and comfort of our customers and crew remain our top priorities," the IndiGo spokesperson added.

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Video of incident surfaces online

A video purportedly showing the passenger's behaviour at the airport surfaced on social media and quickly went viral. The footage shows a heated altercation and alleged damage to airport infrastructure following the flight cancellation.

The airport authorities have asked the police to take appropriate action against the passenger and recover the cost of the damaged equipment from her.

A police complaint has been lodged against Kharat in connection with the incident.