New Delhi: In a shocking incident of brazen abuse of power, a batchmate of the Air India Chairman and Managing Director Rohit Nandan was upgraded to first class on an international flight.
According to a letter sent by a whistleblower to the Civil Aviation Secretary Som Sundaram on November 1, 2014, a passenger - Joint Secretary in the Heavy Industries Ministry Ashok Pavadia - on flight AI 120 on the sector Frankfurt/Delhi, was illegally upgraded to First Class and assigned seat 1D.
When the crew inquired with the ground staff, they were informed that they had been instructed by the CMD to upgrade Pavadia, an IRTS officer, to First Class at any cost. When the crew informed the ground staff that the said seat was already allotted to another passenger, the Ground Staff told the crew that Pavadia was the CMD's batchmate and had to be upgraded 'at any cost'.
To add more shame to the case, to accommodate Pavadia in the first class, a genuine Star Alliance Member was downgraded to Executive class. Other First Class passengers were reportedly unhappy with the situation on the ground.
Pavadia's behaviour, too, was not up-to the mark. He had constantly sought attention from the crew and kept on asking for certain food items which were not on the menu and demanded to know why those items were not on board.
26/12/14 CNN-IBN/IBN Live
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According to a letter sent by a whistleblower to the Civil Aviation Secretary Som Sundaram on November 1, 2014, a passenger - Joint Secretary in the Heavy Industries Ministry Ashok Pavadia - on flight AI 120 on the sector Frankfurt/Delhi, was illegally upgraded to First Class and assigned seat 1D.
When the crew inquired with the ground staff, they were informed that they had been instructed by the CMD to upgrade Pavadia, an IRTS officer, to First Class at any cost. When the crew informed the ground staff that the said seat was already allotted to another passenger, the Ground Staff told the crew that Pavadia was the CMD's batchmate and had to be upgraded 'at any cost'.
To add more shame to the case, to accommodate Pavadia in the first class, a genuine Star Alliance Member was downgraded to Executive class. Other First Class passengers were reportedly unhappy with the situation on the ground.
Pavadia's behaviour, too, was not up-to the mark. He had constantly sought attention from the crew and kept on asking for certain food items which were not on the menu and demanded to know why those items were not on board.
26/12/14 CNN-IBN/IBN Live
