Man shares harrowing experience of falling on IndiGo's ramp and breaking his ankle: 'Unable to walk since August'
A man from Gurgaon recounted a distressing experience with IndiGo Airlines, where he broke his ankle after slipping on a wet, slippery ramp while deboarding a flight. Despite the severity of his injury, his complaint to the airline was met with a dismissive response, intensifying his frustration.
A man hailing from Gurgaon recently shared an unfortunate experience he had with IndiGo Airlines earlier this year when a fall on a wet ramp while deboarding led to a broken ankle. The situation became even worse when his complaint to the airline was met with a dismissive response, which he has called "adding insult to injury."
Taking to X on December 4, Ratnendu Ray shared a harrowing experience that not only caused him physical injury but also led to ongoing difficulties in his life.
My harrowing tale with @IndiGo6E , so that others can be careful. 1/n
¡ª ratnendu ray (@ratnenduray) December 4, 2024
On Aug 14 early morning I landed in Delhi's T2 on an Indigo flight from Chennai. As is most common with them, no aerobridge was given, and instead they asked everyone to deboard using their ramps.
His story began when he was travelling with IndiGo Airlines and had to walk down the wet ramp to deboard his flight.
The ramp was slippery because it was drizzling, and it was dark. Ray slipped on a moist patch in the ramp and fell, breaking his ankle.
"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," Ray wrote.
3/n My ankle twisted and I fell on the ramp, and I realised almost immediately that my ankle had broken or dislocated. The foot was completely bent and the pain was absolutely excruciating. I was helped down by another passenger. This is my foot at the airport. pic.twitter.com/3ZG2hRjiGN
¡ª ratnendu ray (@ratnenduray) December 4, 2024
"I now have a plate and a bunch of screws in my right ankle, depend on a walker for limited mobility, deal with swollen ankles, occasional pain, two ugly surgery scars, and physiotherapy routine," he shared in a series of posts.
11/n I now have a plate and bunch of screws in my right ankle, depend on a walker for limited mobility, deal with swollen ankles, occasional pain, two ugly surgery scars, & physiotherapy routine, hoping for some normalcy next year. I have missed office trips, meeting family etc. pic.twitter.com/sGyXJBuN53
¡ª ratnendu ray (@ratnenduray) December 4, 2024
When Ray filed a complaint on the AirSewa portal, seeking compensation for his medical expenses and requesting that IndiGo implement a standard operating procedure (SOP) for ramp use, the airline's response was dismissive.
In their reply, IndiGo's customer service claimed, "We observed that you were the only passenger who experienced an incient that day."
7/n In response Indigo customer service basically said (i am paraphrasing):
¡ª ratnendu ray (@ratnenduray) December 4, 2024
i. ramp wasn't wet that could cause me to slip - implying I'm making it up or must have imagined the little damp patches
ii. I must be the idiot who can't walk down ramps as no one else fell that day? pic.twitter.com/buEvFdmsEk
Ray then points out that reports of passengers falling on IndiGo's ramps have been recurring, citing newspaper articles and even a post on LinkedIn about another fall on the same steep and wet ramp.
10/n ..and that people falling on Indigo's ramps is a recurring thing, with newspaper articles on the matter as well! Someone also posted on LinkedIn about a fall on steep & wet Indigo ramp.https://t.co/62ssMvB7vt pic.twitter.com/hCBetYPttF
¡ª ratnendu ray (@ratnenduray) December 4, 2024
"Almost everyone I have spoken to has said they have found the ramp IndiGo provides to be wobbly, steep, and/or slippery," he noted.
The consequences of such falls, especially for elderly or pregnant passengers, could be life-altering, he warned.
Ray also mentioned the long-term impact his injury might have. "I am at high risk of developing arthritis on the affected ankle, and of course winters are slightly difficult when you have metallic implants."
He continues to undergo physiotherapy in hopes of regaining some normalcy next year.
He urged fellow travelers to be cautious and called for improvements to IndiGo's ramp safety, particularly for vulnerable passengers. "So, 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."
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Srishti B Dutta brings you everything from rags-to-riches tales and inspiring student success stories to those "No way, this can't be real!" moments. Whether it's intriguing, heartwarming, or just plain quirky, she's got it covered.
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