Wrong to delay flight for specific passenger: Shiv Sena on Dola Sen

In the wake of the fresh controversy surrounding Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Dola Sen for delaying an Air India flight, the Shiv Sena on Friday said it is wrong to delay the flight for a specific passenger.

Shiv Sena MP Pratap Rao Jadhav told ANI, "Whatever facility has been decided by the flights should be given to every passenger, but it is wrong to delay the flight for hours for a specific passenger."

Jadhav further stated that flights even get delayed for hours before given prior information to the passengers, adding it is also wrong on part of the airlines.

Earlier in the day, the Air India issued a clarification stating that Sen did not ask for a wheel chair for her mother while booking seats for the Kolkata bound flight.

The national air carrier further said that the parliamentarian had booked two seats, adding a passenger with wheel chair cannot be seated near the emergency exit as per the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) rule.

"There was no remark of wheel chair during booking, but when all the passengers boarded the flight one passenger was in wheel chair. Cabin crew requested that a wheel chair passenger can't travel in emergency exit as per CAR rule. However, MP Dola Sen started screaming," it said.

The Air India officials said that Sen was offered a business class ticket, but the parliamentarian refused.

"Passengers- on board and captain of flight intervened and finally the flight departed after 39 minutes of the scheduled time," it said.

This incident comes in the wake of Air India putting Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad under no fly list after he thrashed a 60-year-old employee of the airline over a business class ticket.

At least eight air lines imposed a ban on Gaikwad for his act. Air India, however, lifted the ban today after he apologised for the incident.