AirAsia pilot allegedly puts AC on full blast to make passengers leave aircraft
Guwahati/ Mumbai, June 21: Some passengers on a Bagdogra- bound AirAsia India flight have complained of ill treatment by the airline staff after the flight was delayed by more than four hours on Wednesday, prompting the civil aviation ministry to assure of “appropriate followup action.”
The incident took place on the flight from Kolkata after the passengers were allegedly asked to deplane after a delay of four- and- ahalf hours as the plane had some technical snag.
“DGCA is reviewing the incident and we will take appropriate follow up action,” minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha said on Twitter. His tweet came in response to a tweet seeking against the airline for the incident. Indian Oil Corporation Executive Director ( West Bengal) Dipankar Ray, who was onboard the same flight, said the staff behaved in a very “unprofessional and rude” manner with the passengers and asked them to deboard, leading to an altercation between both sides.
“The flight was scheduled to depart at 9 am and was initially delayed by 30 minutes. After boarding, we kept sitting inside the aircraft for one- and- a- half hours with no food or water at all,” Ray told PTI.
The flight captain then instructed all passengers to de- board without any explanation, he said on Wednesday. “When passengers refused to deboard due to heavy rains outside, the captain put the air- conditioning blower on full blast to hound the passengers out,” Ray said.