Air India Express Pilot Accused of Assault at Delhi Airport
Incident at Indira Gandhi International Airport
A passenger flying from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport reported an assault by an Air India Express pilot during a dispute at the security check area on Friday.
On Saturday, Air India Express expressed its regret regarding the incident, announcing that the pilot, Virender Sejwal, had been suspended from duty while an internal investigation is conducted. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has instructed the airline to ground the pilot immediately.
The passenger, Ankit Dewan, shared on social media that the altercation occurred at Terminal 1 while he was traveling with his family, including a four-month-old infant in a stroller.
They were on their way for a holiday on a SpiceJet flight.
Dewan mentioned that airport personnel directed his family to use a security check area designated for staff and individuals with reduced mobility due to their infant.
“The staff was cutting the queue ahead of me,” he stated online. “When I confronted them, Captain Virender, who was also skipping the line, questioned my literacy, asking if I couldn’t read the signs indicating this entry was for staff only.”
This led to a heated argument, he recounted.
“Unable to control himself, the Air India Express pilot physically attacked me, leaving me injured,” Dewan claimed.
In another post, he shared a video of the incident, alleging that his wife overheard Sejwal informing Central Industrial Security Force personnel about the assault, yet no action was taken against him.
Dewan also reported a delay in receiving medical assistance.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken serious cognizance of the incident and directed the airline to ground the pilot with immediate effect.
— MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) December 20, 2025
A formal enquiry has been ordered. Detailed reports have been sought from BCAS and CISF.
Dewan expressed concern over how the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Air India Express could permit such pilots to operate flights. “If they cannot maintain composure during a conflict, how can they be trusted with the safety of numerous passengers in the air?” he questioned.
He also criticized the Delhi airport for its apparent mismanagement, combining staff entry with passengers carrying infants, which he believes created chaos in a sensitive security area.
Air India Express later reiterated its regret over the incident involving one of its employees traveling as a passenger on a different airline.
“We extend our sincere empathy for the distress caused and strongly condemn such behavior,” the airline stated. “The employee involved has been removed from official duties immediately, and appropriate measures will be taken pending a thorough investigation.”
Furthermore, the civil aviation ministry confirmed that it had taken serious notice of the incident and directed the airline to ground the pilot without delay. A formal inquiry has been initiated, and detailed reports have been requested from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and the Central Industrial Security Force.