Pilot deplanes MP, may face privilege motion

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New Delhi: Member of Parliament (MP) from Kerala, PV Abdul Wahab, has threatened to file a privilege motion against an Indian airline pilot who ordered him off his plane on Monday.

Wahab, an Indian Union Muslim League Rajya Sabha MP and his wife had reportedly arrived well after the departure time of the flight. He had entered the plane accompanied by an airport manager.

The angry pilot, Captain Rajat Rana, said that flight would not take off if the MP did not leave the plane.

The MP and his wife had reportedly reserved tickets for a flight to Kochi from where they were planning to catch a connecting flight (IC 998) to Dubai.

However, sources claim the MP was well in time and had only intervened in an argument between the pilot and the airport manager.

Wahab, too, said that he had arrived at the airport well on time to catch the flight.

"I was well in time when I took the boarding pass. The flight had not even landed. It was delayed coming from Bahrain," Wahab said.

"The pilot was in a hurry. When the airport manager escorted me to the flight, the pilot started abusing him. I couldn't afford to hear that and I interfered and told him this is none of his fault, you came late. He got offended."

"When the airport manager told him I was an MP, he told him let him run the country not the airline. That offended me. Then I told him he's just a glorified driver. That offended him. He said I'm not flying with him. I said OK. I walked down voluntarily because I didn't want a pilot strike in India," Wahab explained.

However, an Indian airline official said, "The MP had disembarked from the aircraft on his own after an argument with the pilot."

He also denied that the pilot had behaved rudely with Wahab.

However, Captain Rana told CNN-IBN he did what he thought was right.

Speaking to CNN-IBN, President of the Pilot's Association Vikram Yadav said the association was fully behind the pilot.

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When asked if any action would be taken against the pilot, Vikram Yadav said, "That is absolutely not the real picture. It is absolutely the opposite of that. The flight was being held up for some time and the inquisitive pilot was asking one of the employees of the airlines why the flight was being held up beyond its scheduled departure time."

"Then the MP intervened and started talking to the pilot. The pilot then told the MP that ‘I am talking to this gentleman and who is an employee of the airline. I am not talking to you’."

"Then the pilot proceeded to the cockpit. Then the MP, I believe, started abusing and calling names to the pilot."

"Again the pilot told the MP that, 'Sir it was nothing to do with you and please enjoy the flight'. Then the pilot entered the flight. This action, to tell you the truth, is not an abnormal thing. We do face unruly passengers often."

When pointed out if he was calling the MP an unruly passenger and accusing the MP of being late for the flight, Yadav replied, "That is correct and the fact why this happened is that the MP had opened the cockpit door and it is restricted area."

"Nobody can enter the cockpit. He entered the cockpit and started using unparliamentary language and calling names to the captain. That is when the captain said enough is enough and took it to the next level."

"Once it comes to flight safety, you cannot enter the cockpit. It can never be safe when the pilot knows that there is a passenger who can enter the cockpit and call him names."

"That is not the reason why this happened. Flights are delayed. The flight might not be delayed because of the MP. I am not saying that the flight was delayed because of the MP. What I am saying is that what the MP has done by getting inside the cockpit is not right under law."

"DGCA has regulations about who can enter the cockpit. It is a restricted area. Not everyone can enter the cockpit," Vikram added.

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