Shikhar faces ‘air turbulence’ before SA takeoff
India opener Shikhar Dhawan has been left fuming even before reaching South Africa for the tour. Flying Emirates with the squad, he was forced to leave his wife Ayesha and children in Dubai while taking the connecting flight to Cape Town.
Dhawan slammed Emirates as ‘unprofessional’ and revealed in a tweet: “Absolutely unprofessional from @emirates. Was on my way 2 SA with my fam & was told tht my wife and kids can’t board the flight from Dubai to SA. Was asked to produce birth certificates & other documents fr my kids at the airport which we obviously didn’t have at that moment. They are now at Dubai airport waiting for the documents to arrive. Why didn’t @emirates notify about such a situation when we were boarding the plane from Mumbai? One of the emirates’ employee was being rude for no reason at all.”
Emirates customer support first sought details, promising to look into the issue.
Later, according to ANI, Emirates issued a statement clarifying that rule required the step. “Since 1 June 2015, according to South African regulations, anyone travelling to the country with a minor (under 18) needs to prove parenthood or guardianship, while adults travelling alone with their children need to show they have the consent of their non-travelling partner. Like all airlines, we must comply with the laws of every country in which we operate and this is a shared responsibility with passengers who are required to hold valid travel documents for all countries on their itinerary.”
It only added to Shikhar’s discomfiture. He is a doubt for the first Test starting on January 5 due to an ankle injury.