Flight operations at Manohar International Airport (MOPA) faced a 90-minute disruption on Friday after two passengers were offloaded from an Akasa Air flight for allegedly abusing and pushing a cabin crew member.
According to sources, the incident occurred on flight QP1358 bound for Delhi during boarding when cabin crew were assisting passengers with placing luggage in the overhead compartments. A cabin crew member, identified as Abhinav, was helping other travellers when two passengers — Anup Bhargava and Chandan Mishra — objected to him handling their baggage.
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The crew member reportedly explained that he was only assisting with proper placement of luggage for the safety and convenience of all passengers. However, the situation escalated when Bhargava allegedly became aggressive and verbally abused the crew member, saying, “Are you acting like a goon here? How did you touch my bag? Wait, I’ll show you my power.” He allegedly pushed the cabin crew member during the altercation.
Despite Abhinav apologising in an effort to de-escalate the situation, both passengers continued to behave in an unruly manner. Following repeated misconduct, the Akasa Air crew decided to offload both passengers in the interest of onboard safety and discipline.
Sources said that after being instructed to deboard, Bhargava refused to leave the aircraft and made several phone calls, resisting the crew’s requests. Other passengers eventually intervened and asked him to exit the aircraft. Visuals from inside the plane showed Bhargava standing at the aircraft entry gate and refusing to move, while Mishra was also seen misbehaving with the cabin crew. An announcement was later made by the pilot after the passengers were removed.
The disruption led to the flight’s departure being delayed by more than one-and-a-half hours. Airlines follow strict protocols against unruly behaviour, which can result in offloading, blacklisting and legal action.
It is learnt that Bhargava and Mishra are senior officials at ISGEC and had reportedly travelled to Goa to attend India Energy Week.
In a statement issued late in the evening Akasa Air said “An incident occurred on Akasa Air flight QP 1358 operating from Goa to Delhi on January 30, 2026. Our crew followed established protocols in accordance with company policies. At Akasa Air, the comfort and well-being of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.”
