Air India revokes ban on MP who beat employee
BBC
Air India has revoked a flight ban on a lawmaker who beat one of its employees, after government intervention, reports BBC.
The move came shortly after the airline cancelled tickets booked by Ravindra Gaikwad, from the Hindu hard-line Shiv Sena party, yesterday.
Mr Gaikwad wrote to the civil aviation minister to express regret, but had refused to apologise to Air India.
The ban made headlines around India and on social media.
Most people have sided with the airline and expressed shock at the MPs behaviour.
Before the ban was revoked on Friday, Gaikwad is reported to have tried to buy tickets several times without success.
According to Indian media, the Air India chief told Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju that the ban would continue until Gaikwad apologised to airline staff.
However, they had to lift the ban after Mr Raju wrote to the chairman of the airline on Friday, asking that the ban be revoked with immediate effect.
The row erupted in March when Gaikwad admitting hitting a 60-year-old Air India employee 25 times with my sandal for arrogance after failing to get a business class seat on an all-economy flight.
The altercation happened when the duty manager was called after the plane landed in Delhi and the MP refused to get off.
He was subsequently banned by Air India and several other domestic airlines. A pilot federation also refused to fly any plane on which he is a passenger.
