Air India yesterday lifted its ban on Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, whose flight bookings had been cancelled repeatedly after he assaulted an officer of the national carrier last month.
According to Air India, the ban was lifted after the civil aviation ministry wrote to the airline, a day after Gaikwad expressed “regrets” in the Lok Sabha over the March 23 incident.
“The ministry of civil aviation has directed us to lift the ban in view of the apology tendered by Gaikwad to the civil aviation minister. The ban placed by Air India on Gaikwad has, therefore, been lifted with immediate effect,” the airline said in a statement.
“Air India, however, remains committed to ensure that its employees are not assaulted and neither misbehaved with by any passenger and would always take strong action to preserve the dignity of its employees at all times.”
The national passenger carrier had placed a ban on the movement of the MP on its flights after the incident in which Gaikwad assaulted an Air India employee.
Subsequently, two charge-sheets were filed at the IGIA (Indira Gandhi International Airport) Police Station for assault and delaying of the aircraft - as the MP refused to disembark from the plane. The Delhi Police crime branch is currently investigating the cases.
Since the ban, Gaikwad has been compelled to travel by train or road depending on his engagements, keeping away from the media glare.
Meanwhile, the ministry of civil aviation took the decision after the MP assured that such incidents won’t be repeated.
The ministry’s letter to Air India said: “In view of the apology tendered by Gaikwad and the undertaking of good conduct given by him, Air India and other airlines are advised to lift the ban imposed on him for air travel.”
Besides, the letter detailed that in order to deal with unruly passengers in future, an amendment to CAR (civil aviation requirement) is being drafted by the DGCA (directorate general of civil aviation) in consultation with the ministry for establishment of a national “No Fly List”.
Currently, rules only allow airlines to refuse boarding or off-loading of a passenger whose behaviour is deemed as unruly or disruptive to the safety of flight operations.
Earlier in the day, the national passenger carrier had again cancelled flight tickets allegedly booked by Gaikwad. However, the MP denied making any flight bookings.
Airlines sources said that Gaikwad had booked tickets for travelling between Delhi and Mumbai on April 17 and a return trip on April 24, both of which have been cancelled.
Cancelling his tickets, the national carrier referred to it as a “possible passenger match with Blacklist entry” and it would be treated as ‘No Valid Ticket’.

Angry Trinamool leader delays flight
An Air India flight was delayed by nearly 40 minutes at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in New Delhi yesterday as Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member Dola Sen created a fuss over seating arrangement. According to airline sources, the Rajya Sabha member was travelling to Kolkata on flight AI-020 with two other passengers, one of whom was wheel-chair bound. Sources said Sen was allocated seats 11J, 11G and 11H, which were located near the emergency exits.
“As per CAR (civil aviation requirements) rule, the cabin crew requested that the wheel-chair passenger could not travel near the emergency exit. MP Dola Sen started screaming,” the airline source said. The source the passenger on the wheel-chair was offered a business class seat by the AI commercial staff, which she refused. “Meanwhile, passengers on-board and captain of the flight intervened. Finally, the flight departed 39 minutes late.”