Advertisement

Help
You are here: Rediff Home » India » News » PTI
Search:  Rediff.com The Web
Advertisement
  Discuss this Article   |      Email this Article   |      Print this Article

Deplaned MP violated airline norms: Report

Related Articles
Pilots threaten to sue deplaned MP for actions

De-boarding of Kerala MP turns into a major row

And we hurl abuse at India's airlines. . .

Get news updates:What's this?
Advertisement
April 14, 2008 21:01 IST

The row over a parliamentarian being asked to disembark from an Air India aircraft by its pilot deepened on Monday with reports indicating that a panel, which probed the incident, has concluded that he had entered the cockpit, thus violating airline regulations.

However, official sources said the Mumbai unit of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, which carried out the probe, is yet to submit its report to the BCAS headquarters in New Delhi.

Air India's internal probe report has also not been finalised as yet, airline sources said.

Charges have flown thick and fast, and denials followed with Rajya Sabha MP P V Abdul Wahab alleging 'rude' behaviour by Capt Rajat Rana, the pilot of AI-998, and the Indian Commercial Pilots Association claiming that the IUML leader 'opened the cockpit door, entered inside and abused the pilot'.

Wahab has denied that he entered the cockpit and refused to tender an apology for allegedly describing the pilot as 'glorified drivers'.

"Let the pilots' association do what it wants to do," the Kerala [Images] parliamentarian said.

Wahab and his wife were to fly from Kozhikode to Kochi on April six from where they were to catch a connecting flight to Dubai, but were ordered to disembark. The couple reached Dubai by another flight.

The ICPA has also claimed that Wahab had breached the Indian Aircraft Rule 29, which says: 'No person shall interfere with the Commander or with members of the operating crew of an aircraft or tamper with the aircraft or its equipments or conduct himself in a disorderly manner with the passengers or crew'.

In a bid to defuse the tension arising out of the row, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has urged both sides to await the report of an inquiry ordered by Air India into the incident.

"It is an unfortunate incident. But pending the enquiry, it is premature to give an opinion as to who was at fault. It is not right to say that all MPs are wrong or all pilots are right. Nothing should be imputed till the enquiry is completed," Patel has said, adding "as a Minister, we would like to see that this incident is behind us."


© Copyright 2008 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
 Email this Article      Print this Article

© 2008 Rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer | Feedback