New Delhi (Agency): In a disruptive incident, a passenger was offloaded from a flight bound for Kolkata at Silchar airport due to unruly behavior. The incident caused a delay of 29 minutes in the flight’s departure.
P.K. Gorai, an official from the Airport Authority of India (AAI), provided details of the incident, stating that the passenger in question was identified as Sujit Das Choudhury. Choudhury’s offloading was attributed to his failure to adhere to standard safety protocols during take-off, specifically, talking on his cellphone.
According to Gorai, the flight crew had repeatedly requested Choudhury to switch off his cellphone as part of the standard pre-flight safety procedure. However, he not only disregarded these instructions but also engaged in a verbal altercation with the crew members. His behavior escalated to the point where he allegedly misbehaved with them.
The situation further deteriorated as some of Choudhury’s fellow passengers, who were part of his group, became involved in the altercation with the cabin crew. This disturbance occurred while the aircraft was already in the process of accelerating for take-off, creating a chaotic atmosphere on board.
In response to the escalating situation, the aircraft’s captain intervened and made the decision to offload Choudhury due to his unruly behavior. Subsequently, approximately ten co-passengers who were traveling with Choudhury also chose to deboard the plane in protest against the crew members’ decision.
The incident resulted in a delay of 29 minutes for the affected flight. Originally scheduled to depart for Kolkata from Silchar at 2:20 p.m., the Alliance Air flight eventually took off at 2:49 p.m.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to safety protocols and maintaining respectful conduct while aboard flights, ensuring the safety and comfort of all passengers and crew members.