‘They are helpless too...’: Sonu Sood calls it 'unfair' to hold ground staff responsible amid IndiGo flight delays

Actor Sonu Sood has urged passengers to remain "calm" and stop "targeting" airline ground staff after a series of IndiGo flight delays and cancellations triggered chaos across several airports in India.

The disruptions have left thousands of travellers stranded, leading to heated arguments and shouting matches inside terminals, many of which are now circulating on social media. Over the past few days, multiple videos have gone viral showing angry passengers confronting staff members and demanding clarity on flight schedules.

Sood took to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday morning to share a video message condemning the behaviour of passengers who were seen yelling at airline employees. While explaining that he understood the "frustration" and "pain" caused by long delays, he urged people to be compassionate towards staff who are equally "helpless." "Friends, this video is a small message for those who have been suffering for the past 2-3 days on IndiGo flights. My own family was travelling, and they had to wait for 4.5-5 hours. Then, the flight finally took off and reached its destination. Many flights didn't take off, many were cancelled, and many people couldn't attend weddings. Meetings were cancelled, events were cancelled." "But the saddest thing was seeing how people were shouting at the ground staff at the airports. I know in such situations, there is frustration, there is pain, and you end up taking out your anger. But imagine yourself in their shoes. Those who are helpless themselves don't know what the future schedules are, whether the flights will take off or not. And those who get messages from above can only pass them on to you," Sood continued.

"...As responsible citizens, it is very important for us to make sure that we do not react to them because they are helpless and they do not have any answers. Please try to stay calm. Control your anger and respect them," Sood further said.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered the constitution of a high-level, four-member committee to conduct a comprehensive review and assessment of the circumstances that led to widespread operational disruptions at IndiGo Airlines in recent days.