Social media users were divided on the incident, with some saying that the crew member tried her best to be patient while others felt that the passenger’s point of view should have been heard.
Jet Airways CEO Sanjiv Kapoor empathised with the stewardess, and wrote on Twitter that “crew are human too”.
“It must have taken a lot to get her to breaking point. Over the years, I have seen crew slapped and abused on board flights, called ‘servant’ and worse. Hope she is fine despite the pressure she must be under,” he added.
“As I have always said, the customer is always right… until he (or she) is wrong. Physical or verbal abuse or humiliation is NEVER acceptable.”
A spokesperson for IndiGo told the Daily Mail that the airline is aware of the incident and looking into it.
“The issue was related to meals chosen by certain passengers traveling via a codeshare connection,” the Indigo spokesperson said, adding that “is our constant endeavour to provide a courteous and hassle-free experience to our customers”.
Codeshare allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers and provide travel to destinations where it has no presence.
A senior official at India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation also confirmed the regulator is looking into the incident and will take appropriate action.