Air India is facing serious questions after a British-Indian woman was prevented from boarding her flight from London to India, despite possessing all the correct documentation, in an incident that has sparked allegations of racial profiling.
The disturbing event unfolded at London Heathrow Airport, where the woman, who holds both a valid visa and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, was abruptly denied passage on the flight to Hyderabad. The OCI card grants foreign citizens of Indian origin virtually lifelong visa-free travel to India.
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was compelled to intervene, taking to social media to demand answers from the airline. She highlighted the profound distress caused to the passenger and called for an immediate explanation for the seemingly unjustified decision.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Ms. Cooper stated: "Really concerned that a British-Indian woman with valid visa & OCI was stopped from boarding her Air India flight at Heathrow. She’s now missed her flight & important family event. Need urgent explanation from Air India why this happened & why she was treated in this way."
The incident has ignited a fierce debate online, with many sharing similar experiences of opaque and inconsistent document checks by airline staff at departure gates, often leading to last-minute boarding denials and significant financial and emotional hardship for travellers.
Air travel experts note that while airlines bear the responsibility of ensuring passengers have the correct documentation to enter their destination—facing hefty fines if they get it wrong—this case appears to be a severe lapse in protocol and staff training.
This episode raises urgent concerns about the transparency and fairness of procedures used by airlines to verify travel documents and the need for clearer recourse for passengers who believe they have been wrongly denied boarding.
