Rahul Gandhi's Alleged Vistara Flight Booking to Bangkok is Proven False

A viral image claiming to show Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Vistara flight boarding pass to Bangkok on June 5, 2024, has been debunked as a fabrication. The image, which circulated widely on social media, purported to show Gandhi's name on a boarding pass for a flight to Bangkok, Thailand, just a day after the Lok Sabha election results. However, a fact-check investigation has revealed that the image is digitally altered.

The investigation, conducted by multiple fact-checking entities including PTI Fact Check Desk and BOOM, revealed several inconsistencies in the image. The boarding pass displayed two different flight numbers: UK121 and UK115. This discrepancy raised immediate suspicions about the authenticity of the image.

Further investigation revealed that the original boarding pass belonged to Ajay Awtaney, a columnist and founder of the aviation blog Live From A Lounge. A reverse image search traced the boarding pass back to an article published on August 7, 2019, detailing Awtaney's experience on Vistara's first international flight from Delhi to Singapore. Awtaney confirmed that the boarding pass was his and had no connection to Rahul Gandhi or a flight to Bangkok.

Why this matters: The spread of false information can have significant consequences on public opinion and trust in institutions. If left unchecked, it can lead to misinformation campaigns that can influence election outcomes and undermine democratic processes.

The manipulated image also contained other errors. The boarding pass showed a departure time of 23:45 PM, which did not correspond with the actual flight schedules for either UK121 or UK115. Additionally, the barcode format used in the image was incorrect for Vistara Airlines, which uses a different barcode type.

This incident highlights the ease with which digital images can be manipulated and the importance of verifying information before sharing it. The spread of false information can lead to unnecessary confusion and misrepresentation.

To summarize, the claim that Rahul Gandhi booked a Vistara flight to Bangkok on June 5, 2024, is entirely false. The image has been digitally altered, and the original boarding pass belongs to Ajay Awtaney from a 2019 flight to Singapore.

Key Takeaways

• Viral image of Rahul Gandhi's Vistara flight boarding pass to Bangkok is fake.
• Image was digitally altered, with inconsistencies in flight numbers and barcode format.
• Original boarding pass belonged to Ajay Awtaney from a 2019 flight to Singapore.
• Spread of false information can influence election outcomes and undermine democracy.
• Verifying information before sharing is crucial to prevent misinformation.