CNN-IBN responds to Air Deccan

CNN-IBN report showed Air Deccan was off-loading people but keeping ticket fare.

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CNN-IBN Correspondent Ruksh Chatterji replies to Ms Vijaya Menon, Head of Corporate Communications, Air Deccan, regarding the company’s allegations against story. Below is his detailed response to the issues raised in the above-mentioned email.

At the outset let me clarify, the aim of this story was not to deliberately malign, target or purposely damage the reputation of Air Deccan.

The three stories aired on CNN-IBN were the result of an investigation, which lasted over one-and-a-half months beginning on January 29, 2007. The investigation was undertaken following complaints from passengers on the flight DN763, on the above-mentioned date.

The stories were not motivated by any other reasons but to verify the complaints by the passengers and expose any malpractices, deliberate or otherwise, by your airline. Whether a story is positive or negative is purely based on the perspective of the viewer, however in this matter I would like to state that the story is factual in every respect.

A lot of effort has been taken to check and crosscheck facts before it made it to the story. The Documentary / Video / Oral Evidence used in the story is listed here:

Copy of Manifest: This is a copy of the manifest submitted to the Airports Authority of India, Bangalore for the calculation of the PSF. This document is meant to be a sacrosanct piece of paper, but clearly isn't, as is amply demonstrated by the several different versions being circulated by your airline.

• Copy of Manifest given to AAI, Bangalore should be the checked-in manifest. But as has been mentioned by you clearly there are different versions being generated by your computers for different purposes. As per DGCA sources there should be only one version of the manifest, therefore if you say, “the copy in CNN-IBN's possession is inappropriate”, kindly explain.

• The Aircraft (Flight DN763, January 29, 2007, Departing 5:55 AM (0555 hrs IST), from Bangalore) carried a different manifest on board, which had 180 passengers (On the list, and on-board the aircraft). This has been verified by the AAI Official (at Bombay) who was alerted on January 29, and checked the Manifest on board that day. The Manifest in CNN-IBN's was shown to the official and he stated, "This was the very same document except that day the list ended at 180". (As per Manifest in CNN-IBN's possession 175 Passengers - 5 " No Shows"= 170)

• The AAI official (in Mumbai) who had been alerted from Bangalore, actually went down to the tarmac with another colleague. Both of them positioned themselves at the ladder (Front and Rear) and counted a total of 186 people get off the plane. (180 passengers + six crew)

• The Air Deccan Staff on board the aircraft, on January 29 also confirmed to the AAI official that the flight was carrying a full load.

Document 1: Scanned Copy of Manifest in CNN-IBN's possession.

Document 2: Scanned Copy of Manifest in CNN-IBN's possession.

Document 3: Scanned Copy of Manifest in CNN-IBN's possession.

Document 4: Scanned Copy of Manifest in CNN-IBN's possession.

Document 5: Scanned Copy of Manifest in CNN-IBN's possession.

Tickets/ Refund Receipts: of "No-Show" passengers who were not allowed to board the said flight on January 29, 2007