After IndiGo, Air India, Jet Airways, Spicejet, GoAir, now Vistara and AirAsia have jumped onto the bandwagon of airlines banning Telugu Desam Party MP JC Diwakar Reddy from all their flights. The six airlines banned the MP as he abused the IndiGo airline staff at the Vishakapatnam airport, after he was not allowed to board his flight because he was too late.
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Reddy’s IndiGo flight 6E-608 was departing from Vishakapatnam at 8.10AM to Hyderabad. According to the reports, he reached just 28 minutes before the scheduled departure, according to the airline. As per the rules, airlines close check-in counters for all domestic fights 45 minutes prior to departure. While IndiGo had finally accommodated the TDP leader, later it decided to ban him from his flights. In support of the fellow carriers, State-run India, SpiceJet and Jet Airways and Vistara have also barred him from their flights.
Earlier this year, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad was temporarily banned by airlines from flying after he hit an Air India staffer. Following this, the government released its draft rules for a national no-fly list for unruly passengers and proposed a ban on flying from three months up to an indefinite period. These rules are expected to be finalised shortly by the Centre.
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Reddy, who had allegedly damaged the Air India office at Gannavaram airport in Vijaywada last year after he missed his flight, got into a verbal argument with the ground staff and impulsively threw a printer kept at the airline’s counter after he was informed that boarding for his flight had been closed. CCTV tapes of him pushing around an IndiGo employee were broadcasted on television channels.
IndiGo stated that, ”The staff politely informed him that boarding for flight 6E-608 is closed and offered to accommodate Mr Reddy in the subsequent flight. Mr Reddy expressed his annoyance and soon raged against the staff using aggressive and abusive behaviour.” When asked whether the decision to ban the TDP member was of IndiGo alone or other Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) members were included, an official said, “I speak only for my airline”. However, FIA members (including IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir and Jet Airways) followed IndiGo and barred him from boarding their flights.
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According to the reports, IndiGo stated, “Any untoward conduct which compromises the safety and security of our passengers and staff is a serious concern for us. Safety and security of passengers, crew and the aircraft is the top priority and it cannot be compromised.”