Fact Check: Video of passengers arguing over social distancing is not from Air India flight
Passengers claimed that at the time of booking the tickets, they were assured that the seats next to them would remain vacant but the airline packed the flight.
Listen to Story
India Today Fact Check
The incident took place inside a Karachi-Toronto flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and not Chicago-Delhi bound Air India flight.
A video of passengers arguing over seats and social distancing with flight attendants inside a plane is being widely ciculated on social media. It is being claimed that the video was shot inside an Air India flight from Chicago-Delhi, where passengers were charged three times for one seat to maintain social distancing but the flight was packed and no seat was left idle.
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that the claim with the viral video is misleading. The video has been shot inside a Karachi-Toronto flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and not Chicago-Delhi bound Air India flight.
The archived versions of the posts can be seen here.
In the viral video, some of the passengers can be seen arguing with flight pursers for not maintaining social distancing. They claimed that at the time of booking the tickets, they were assured that the seats next to them would remain vacant but the airline packed the flight.
According to media reports published on April 29, this incident took place inside the Karachi-Toronto flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
We also found similarities in the interior of the PIA flight and the interior of the flight shown in the viral video.
Air India rubbished the claim through a tweet.
Dear Pax, The video is not of an Air India aircraft. You are advised not to spread such misinformation in a public domain which may create panic & is a recognised offence. We are compelled to report your tweet for maligning Air India & sparking false anxiety.
— Air India (@airindiain) May 8, 2020
PIB also tweeted clarifying that the flight in the viral video is from a neighbouring country's airline.
#PIBFactCheck
Claim: Video on social media showing passengers on purported @airindiain overseas flight arguing over being charged thrice the normal fare & then packed in, without #SocialDistancing
Fact: #Fake video. @MoCA_GoI says it is from a neighbouring country's airlines pic.twitter.com/Uww1zrHH5m
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 8, 2020
Hence, it is clear that the viral video has nothing to do with Air India and is from Pakistan.
Please share it on our at 73 7000 7000
You can also send us an email at factcheck@intoday.com