For delaying flight, pilot makes Kerala MP get off
In the eye of the storm is P V Abdul Wahab, Muslim League's influential Rajya Sabha MP with business interests in the Gulf. He had declared a net worth of Rs 130 crore when he filed his nomination four years ago.
Wahab was booked on Indian's Kozhikode-Kochi-Dubai flight with his family this morning. Airport sources said the take-off was delayed until the MP and his kin turned up some 15 minutes past the scheduled departure time.
The angry pilot summoned the local airport manager, who had entered the aircraft with the MP, and pulled him up.Sources said Wahab got into an argument with the pilot who then declared that the plane would not take off until the MP since there was some confusion over the flight timing. The airport manager came and took him to the aircraft and the pilot rebuked the manager for some delay, at which Wahab intervened. The pilot allegedly told Wahab that he did not care if he was an MP and asked him to get out of the aircraft," sources close to Wahab said, adding that the MP was planning to move a privilege motion against the "humiliation".
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Labels: Airport, delaying flight, Dubaibound Indian flight, humiliation, Indian's Kozhikode-Kochi-Dubai flight, Kerala MP, Muslim League's influential Rajya Sabha MP, P V Abdul Wahab, pilot
posted by PressMart Team at
11:46 AM
1 Comments:
The spat between Mr. Wahab and the pilot should not be seen as a usual case of VIP arrogance. Though the MP’s arrogance needs to be condemned, there is a larger angle to this episode.
1. It is part of the general contempt of the airlines and its staff towards the passengers to the middle east especially from South India. Just a week before this incident, an ordinary passenger to middle east was deplaned by a captain citing late arrival despite the passenger breaking down and pleading for mercy.
2. The pilots in both the cases would not have done this to a politician/passenger from NewDelhi. Nor they would have taken such an action against a passenger bound for NewYork or London.
3. Air India and Indian Airlines, with the connivance of the ministry, has ensured that passengers to Middle East from South India are left with no choice but to travel in the state run carriers . The official version that “customers are always right “ is a farce in this case.
4. This is a clear cut case of the partisan attitude of the airlines and its staff towards passengers from South India to the Middle East. The situation will change only if more foreign carriers are permitted to operate freely from airports in South India especially , Kerala.
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