New Delhi: In yet another case of VVIP misbehaviour, a member of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh allegedly slapped an Air India station manager at Tirupati airport on Thursday for refusing to accept him and his relatives on a flight for which boarding had been closed.
According to sources, a YSR Congress party MP reached the Tirupati airport about 20 to 25 minutes before flight departure time with some of his relatives to board AI 541 to Delhi (where Parliament is in session and MPs are supposed to be in attendance) via Hyderabad. Boarding counters for domestic flights close at least 45 minutes before departure time.
"Since the boarding counter had closed for the 2:30 pm flight when the MP and his entourage reached the airport, the VVIP asked the station manager to accommodate him and his relatives on board. Expressing his inability to do so as boarding had closed, the employee apologised to the MP. The politician flew into a rage and slapped the station manager," said a source.
The airline asked the employee to file a complaint against the MP. However given the clout that politician wields and given the fact that AI is a government organisation, the employee had till late on Thursday night not filed a police complaint. Highly placed sources said that the MP subsequently pacified the employee and the latter did not file a complaint.
The AI station manager was in the security hold area, supervising the flight's preparedness for take off as boarding counter had been closed. He was called out of the area to meet the MP, where he was slapped after refusing to accept the VVIP and his relatives on board.
27/11/15 Times of India
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According to sources, a YSR Congress party MP reached the Tirupati airport about 20 to 25 minutes before flight departure time with some of his relatives to board AI 541 to Delhi (where Parliament is in session and MPs are supposed to be in attendance) via Hyderabad. Boarding counters for domestic flights close at least 45 minutes before departure time.
"Since the boarding counter had closed for the 2:30 pm flight when the MP and his entourage reached the airport, the VVIP asked the station manager to accommodate him and his relatives on board. Expressing his inability to do so as boarding had closed, the employee apologised to the MP. The politician flew into a rage and slapped the station manager," said a source.
The airline asked the employee to file a complaint against the MP. However given the clout that politician wields and given the fact that AI is a government organisation, the employee had till late on Thursday night not filed a police complaint. Highly placed sources said that the MP subsequently pacified the employee and the latter did not file a complaint.
The AI station manager was in the security hold area, supervising the flight's preparedness for take off as boarding counter had been closed. He was called out of the area to meet the MP, where he was slapped after refusing to accept the VVIP and his relatives on board.
27/11/15 Times of India