Playback singer Benny Dayal has slammed Indian airlines including Vistara, IndiGo, SpiceJet and others for mishandling musical instruments of musicians, who usually travel abroad for various concerts. Accusing all airlines of breaking and mishandling instruments, Benny put up an Instagram video saying, "A simple message to all the airlines in India. Musicians work very hard to make money and that depends on how their instruments are being handled by you guys when they travel for concerts and shows all across the country. IndiGo, Vistara, Air India, and SpiceJet, you guys have zero concern for a musician’s instrument. I have been seeing a lot of videos of people saying their instruments have been broken by you, and you have shown zero accountability for your actions. It’s totally unacceptable (sic),” says the singer.
Referring to his personal experience with Vistara, Benny said, “You guys owe me two bags. You broke two of my bags in a gap of seven days and I still require it. I need it back. Vistara, your service is sucking. I am so sorry.”
The singer further stated that the airlines were also not giving proper guidelines to the ground staff in this regard. “At the same time, Indigo, you have zero care for musicians and their feelings and how you guys need to manage your entire luggage handling team. Whomever you are hiring for this job, you guys don't brief them correctly, because of which people's instruments come back broken when they have travelled to another city. Even before they reach for the show, it is broken. Please, a humble request to all the airlines and ground staff. Please, we beg you to handle our instruments with care. We need our instruments because that's what feeds us. That’s what pays for our food,” he said.
Benny added that none of the airlines in India were good at handling instruments correctly. “When it comes to musicians, you know that they are checking in together. They are loading all the instruments together, and managing the weights and everything. You know they are compromising a lot of things in this course of their travel. Please, please, please stop breaking their instruments. Please be accountable for the mistake you make and don't make us look like fools and make us run around left, right, and centre."
Several musicians also came out in support of Benny, saying that they have had similar experiences with the airport authorities.