Air France leaves Indian passengers stranded, facing harassment at Paris airport

Air France's treatment of Indian flyers has come under severe criticism as around 100 Indian passengers are stranded at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris for over 50 hours. The passengers who flew from Mumbai on flight Air France-217, landed in Paris on June 23, 1.30 pm (IST) have been subjected to chaos and harassment, with attempts to document the situation being thwarted.

Unable to leave the airport due to the absence of Schengen visas, their nightmare continues for the third consecutive day.

Once again @airfrance treating Indian passengers badly. About 100 are stranded at Paris airport for the last 24 hours. They are being hectored when trying to film the chaos & harassment they’re being subjected too. They can’t go out because no Schengen visa.

— Noopur (@NoopurTiwari) June 24, 2023

Inadequate support and disinformation

• In an attempt to calm them, many of the passengers, who had an Air France flight AF 356 on June 24, onward to Toronto, their intended destination, after a layover were deliberately misinformed that the flight was overbooked.
• However, the flight from Paris to Toronto was cancelled, turning the 4-hour, 30-minute layover into a harrowingly days-long one, which was obviously the airline's mistake.
• Some of the stranded passengers, who paid € 270 upfront for a room within the airport, were provided with meagre sleeping arrangements, and forced to rest on evacuation stretchers without covers, leaving them cold and uncomfortable.

The ordeal of Indian @airfrance passengers continues on their 3rd day at CDG
-Made to sleep on evacuation stretchers, no covers. They were cold
-Given just 15€ voucher for 1 meal
-Threatened if they took another airline then Air France won’t be responsible for their luggage pic.twitter.com/KNKCP2B9ft

— Noopur (@NoopurTiwari) June 25, 2023

• To worsen their situation, a mere €15 voucher was issued for a single meal, which was not sufficient.
• Shockingly, a fresh group of Indian passengers, arriving from JFK on another flight, is now facing a similar plight.

Threats and delayed response

• Reportedly, threats were made by Air France ground staff, suggesting that if the passengers chose an alternative airline to Toronto, Air France would disclaim responsibility for their luggage.
• Several passengers who wished to exit the airport could not leave the airport premises to seek accommodation in nearby hotels, as they did not have a visa to enter the Schengen region.
• Moreover, passengers who tried to capture the mistreatment from Air France were reportedly coerced into deleting photos on their phones, while many faced difficulties accessing any connectivity or internet services.
• The prolonged ordeal left the affected passengers utterly exhausted, physically and emotionally drained.
• It took Air France more than a day to address the situation with a mere tokenistic Twitter reply, while the passengers at Paris Charles de Gaulle continue to suffer.

Good evening, we apologize for our late reply. We confirm that flight AF356 on June 24, 2023 from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Toronto had to be cancelled due to a technical problem and the unavailability of a new aircraft. Some customers without Schengen visa and therefore not…

— Air France FR (@AirFranceFR) June 25, 2023

• Air France, on Twitter, confirmed the cancellation of flight AF356(Paris-Toronto) scheduled for June 24, 2023, at 9.37 PM, Jun 25, 2023 (Paris time). The carrier cited a technical issue and the lack of an alternative aircraft.
• There wasn't any word regarding the mistreatment and lack of assistance and support from the airline.
• However, Air France said it is making every effort to ensure the prompt transportation of affected customers to their intended destinations.

If not differential treatment, then what?

• It is distressing to note that passengers from other nationalities, such as American/European or Canadian citizens, would likely not be subjected to similar circumstances and would be free to step out into the city.
• A European Union regulation from 2004 provides for a compensation of €250 to €600 for flight delays over 3 hours, which obviously has not been adhered to in this case.
• The disparity highlights the vulnerability and discrimination faced by Indian passengers and underscores the potential racial biases some airline staff may possess.
• In light of these injustices, it is imperative for airlines to compensate passengers not only for the physical inconveniences but also for the psychological impact endured.

Air France's mistreatment of Indian passengers stranded at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport and lack of proper response in this matter is concerning, suggesting that such incidents may be recurrent and often overlooked.

The incident also raises the issue of the need for short-term visas for Indian passport holders who want to step out of the airport in such situations.

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