Go First, Star Air offer free travel for all Indian Olympic medal winners
New Delhi, Aug 8: Go First and Star Air on Sunday offered free travel to all six Indian athletes and the men's hockey team who won medals at the Tokyo Olympics.
Go First, previously known as GoAir, stated it would give free tickets to them for the next five years. Regional carrier Star Air, which connects 13 cities in India, said it will offer the medal winners a lifetime of free air travel.
India finished its campaign at this year's Olympics with one gold, two silvers and four bronze medals.
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Saturday became only the second Indian to win an individual gold in the Olympics, outperforming the field by some distance to immortalise himself as the first track-and-field Games medal-winner for the country.
After Chopra won the gold medal on Saturday, IndiGo had announced that it will offer him unlimited free travel for one year.
In a statement on Sunday, Go First said it is offering free travel to "all medal-winners for the next five years, until 2025" to celebrate India's best-ever haul of seven medals at an Olympics.
"The seven Olympics medallists Mirabai Chanu (weight-lifting), P.V.sindhu (badminton), Lovlina Borgohain (boxing), the men's hockey team, Ravi Kumar Dahiya (wrestling), Bajrang Punia (wrestling) and gold medallist Neeraj Chopra (javelin throw) will be provided free air travel for any Go First sectors for the next five years," Go First noted.
In a statement on Sunday, Star Air said it will be its "privilege to offer our Tokyo Olympic champions a lifetime of free air travel".
A token of appreciation for those who brought us glory at #Olympics2021. We are happy to offer free travel on our network for 5 years to all medal winners. #Tokyo2020 #GoFirst @mirabai_chanu @Pvsindhu1 @LovlinaBorgohai @BajrangPunia @Neeraj_chopra1 #RaviDahiya @TheHockeyIndia
— GO FIRST (@GoFirstairways) August 8, 2021
Star Air congratulates all the Indian Olympic Champions of Tokyo 2020. @neeraj_chopra1 @BajrangPunia @mirabai_chanu @ravidahiya60 @TheHockeyIndia @Pvsindhu1 @LovlinaBorgohai #OfficialStarAir #WeCare #ConnectingRealIndia #FlyNonStop #FlyWithStarAir #SGGRising pic.twitter.com/SqyAFd7y4M
— Star Air (@OfficialStarAir) August 8, 2021
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IndiGo Mumbai-Istanbul flight cancelled due to glitch, airline provides alternative aircraft
Mumbai, Dec 28: Domestic carrier IndiGo on Saturday said it has arranged an alternative aircraft to fly the stranded passengers after its Mumbai-Istanbul flight of December 28, scheduled to depart at 6.55 am, had to be cancelled due to a technical glitch.
The long delay prompted some of the passengers to vent their anger on social media. No food or even water was served and there was no representative from the airline willing to listen to their grievances, some passengers claimed.
The alternative aircraft will depart for Istanbul at 11 pm, the airline said in a statement.
"We regret that our flight 6E17, originally scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Istanbul, faced a delay due to technical issues. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to rectify the issue and dispatch it to the destination, we eventually had to cancel the flight," IndiGo said in a statement.
"Mumbai to Istanbul journey suspended after 10 hours waiting by passengers. Information that there are around 100 passengers in this journey and the number of students is large. Kids are crying at the airport, no resolution from authorities," said a passenger in his post on X, also tagging Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol.
"There are 500 passengers who have been scammed by continuous delays and eventual cancellation. All passengers have not been served any food or water. There is no representative from indigo willing to listen to grievances," said another passenger in his post.
IndiGo, however, said its teams were "working hard" to provide support to the affected customers, keeping them informed and arranging accommodation, meal vouchers and full refunds.
#Indigo's Mumbai to Istanbul journey suspended after 10 hours waiting by passengers. Information that there are around 100 passengers in this journey and the number of students is large.
— Ajay Mane (@ajaymane2995) December 28, 2024
Kids are crying at the airport, no resolution from authorities.@IndiGo6E @mohol_murlidhar pic.twitter.com/wpiIW1dfXK
