Air India gives it back to Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, cancels his New Delhi-Pune ticket, blacklists him

New Delhi: Air India cancelled the ticket of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who was scheduled to fly from New Delhi to Pune on Friday.

Earlier today, the airline had blacklisted the "unruly" Shiv Sena MP, who admitted to assaulting an airline staffer "25 times" with his shoes and attempted to throw him out of the aircraft on Thursday.

The unrepentant MP today said that he would not apologise to the Air India staffer whom he assaulted, and instead blamed the airline employee for the incident.

He also told reporters at the Maharashtra Sadan this morning that he would board the evening flight.

"I have the tickets, they can`t blacklist me. I will board the Delhi-Pune Air India flight this evening. How can they not allow me?" he had said.

However, Air India said it has also written to the Shiv Sena communicating the decision to cancel the ticket. Shiv Sena secretary Anil Desai told news agency PTI that he has asked Gaekwad to change his travel plans as the party doesn't want the tensions to escalate.

Gaekwad was booked on Delhi to Pune flight AI 849 scheduled for departure at 4 pm today.

"We have intimated Shiv Sena that we can't fly Gaekwad on his return flight because our employees are agitated. He has assured us that the party will advise the MP not to fly Air India today," said an Air India source.

"Our airport employees have said that they won't attend to him and they won't let him enter. In order to avoid any violence, we have written to Shiv Sena," he added.

An Air India official, earlier today, confirmed to news agency IANS that the order "blacklisting him with immediate effect" has been issued, but the period and other details are not yet available.

 

A common practice among many international and some Indian private airlines for safety and security reasons, this is the first time that the national carrier has introduced such a 'blacklist' of rowdy passengers.

Ironically, the first law-breaker who figures on the Air India 'blacklist' happens to be a law-maker from Maharashtra, a former teacher with two terms as legislator and now a first-time MP from Osmanabad district.