Mumbai: Without citing any reasons, Air India has revoked the suspension of senior pilot Capt Rohit Bhasin for allegedly shoplifting at a Sydney airport duty-free outlet two months ago.
This is the second time in three years that Air India has done such a volte face.
On April 28, 2016, Bhasin had put lives of passengers on board Air India Delhi-Paris flight AI-143 at risk twice. A senior-level committee that probed the incident had recommended that Bhasin undergo psychiatric assessment by Indian Air Force doctors. But AI formed another panel which allowed him to resume flying without undergoing the assessment.
The latest incident occurred on June 22 when Bhasin, who was at Sydney airport to operate an Air India flight to Delhi as a commander, bought a jacket from a Tumi duty-free shop. “CCTV footage showed him taking a wallet and putting it inside the jacket and exiting without paying for it,” said a source.
Just after the aircraft door was shut for departure, security personnel came rushing seeking entry. “Bhasin who was in the cockpit came into the passenger cabin with the wallet in his hand. He said he didn’t know how it got into his bag and threw it away. The security personnel told him that returning the wallet didn’t end the matter,” said the source. The AI station manager gave an assurance to the security that the airline will fully cooperate with the investigations, following which, the flight was released.
Air India placed Bhasin under suspension. TOI had earlier reported that Bhasin had told the airline that he was “elated on receiving a very good news on the personal front at the airport... and in this sense of euphoria, he went shopping for some gift... and inadvertently rushed off to the aircraft without realising he had not paid for the wallet.”
Two months later, the airline has changed its tune. “It has now been decided to revoke your suspension with immediate effect...” reads the letter issued by Amrita Sharan, AI director (personnel), on Monday. With no adverse remark against him, Bhasin is now free to continue with AI or join another airline. An Air India spokesperson refused to comment on the matter.
The 2016 incident involved two violations. First, he ordered the first officer to fraudulently enter a lower temperature setting into the aircraft computer. In the first attempt, when the correct temperature (41 degree Celsius) was fed, the avionics system gave a “take-off not possible” response as the aircraft was overloaded. AI Delhi-Paris flight AI-143 took off with the fraudulent lower temperature setting, breaching the safety margin.
Later in the flight, he manipulated the on-board flight management system and initiated a climb to an altitude that was beyond the operational capability of the Dreamliner and so deemed unsafe by Boeing. At such an altitude, the aircraft could enter, what’s called a “coffin corner” in aviation parlance. That is, it could have stalled.
28/08/19 Manju V/Times of India
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This is the second time in three years that Air India has done such a volte face.
On April 28, 2016, Bhasin had put lives of passengers on board Air India Delhi-Paris flight AI-143 at risk twice. A senior-level committee that probed the incident had recommended that Bhasin undergo psychiatric assessment by Indian Air Force doctors. But AI formed another panel which allowed him to resume flying without undergoing the assessment.
The latest incident occurred on June 22 when Bhasin, who was at Sydney airport to operate an Air India flight to Delhi as a commander, bought a jacket from a Tumi duty-free shop. “CCTV footage showed him taking a wallet and putting it inside the jacket and exiting without paying for it,” said a source.
Just after the aircraft door was shut for departure, security personnel came rushing seeking entry. “Bhasin who was in the cockpit came into the passenger cabin with the wallet in his hand. He said he didn’t know how it got into his bag and threw it away. The security personnel told him that returning the wallet didn’t end the matter,” said the source. The AI station manager gave an assurance to the security that the airline will fully cooperate with the investigations, following which, the flight was released.
Air India placed Bhasin under suspension. TOI had earlier reported that Bhasin had told the airline that he was “elated on receiving a very good news on the personal front at the airport... and in this sense of euphoria, he went shopping for some gift... and inadvertently rushed off to the aircraft without realising he had not paid for the wallet.”
Two months later, the airline has changed its tune. “It has now been decided to revoke your suspension with immediate effect...” reads the letter issued by Amrita Sharan, AI director (personnel), on Monday. With no adverse remark against him, Bhasin is now free to continue with AI or join another airline. An Air India spokesperson refused to comment on the matter.
The 2016 incident involved two violations. First, he ordered the first officer to fraudulently enter a lower temperature setting into the aircraft computer. In the first attempt, when the correct temperature (41 degree Celsius) was fed, the avionics system gave a “take-off not possible” response as the aircraft was overloaded. AI Delhi-Paris flight AI-143 took off with the fraudulent lower temperature setting, breaching the safety margin.
Later in the flight, he manipulated the on-board flight management system and initiated a climb to an altitude that was beyond the operational capability of the Dreamliner and so deemed unsafe by Boeing. At such an altitude, the aircraft could enter, what’s called a “coffin corner” in aviation parlance. That is, it could have stalled.
28/08/19 Manju V/Times of India
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