Air India In No Mood To Forgive Banned Shiv Sena MP, Cancels His Tickets Even After He Regrets

Air India has reportedly cancelled two Delhi-Mumbai and Mumbai-Delhi tickets booked by Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad for April 17 and 24, An Air India spokesperson said in an interview with ANI.

The Shiv Sena, however, denied the reports and said the MP hasn't booked any tickets for the said dates. The development comes a day after Gaikwad expressed regret on Thursday for assaulting an Air India staff member during a flight last month, describing it as an "unfortunate incident".

ANI

In his letter to the Civil Aviation Ministry, Gaikwad said,

"I write to convey my regrets for the unfortunate incident that took place on March 23, 2017, in the Air India flight AI-852, seat number 1F. It could have been no one's intention to have the situation aggravate to the level that it eventually did.While the ongoing investigation will bring out the factual sequence of events to fix responsibility, this incident may kindly not be seen as a reason for likely recurrence of such an event in future also."

Meanwhile, the national carrier is sticking to its guns.

The All India Cabin Crew Association said Gaikwad won't be allowed to fly until he tenders an unconditional apology.

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In a letter to Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani, the association said,

"We as Cabin Crew, must only point out that Mr?Ravindra Gaikwad is and will continue to be a risk to Flight Safety and flight Operations and to Cabin Crew safety on board, and hence Government must think long and hard about letting him back on. In fact, Unless he tenders an unconditional apology to AI employees, and undertakes in writing to abide by the Chicago and Tokyo Conventions & Rules of the Air and follow all Cabin safety and public behaviour norms, we must not let him on board."

Air India unions also thanked Lohani for sanding with the employees.

"Our CMD has boosted the morale and confidence of employees of AI... such unwarranted statement from senior leaders will contribute in a negative manner for the turnaround of AI. Employees have full confidence in our CMD," the Air Corporations Employees Union wrote in an open letter.

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Gaikwad had hit a 60-year-old AI staffer with his footwear and tried to push him off the plane at Delhi airport, resulting in widespread outrage, a police case and a flight ban that restricted his movement, forcing him to travel by train.

Also Read:?Airlines Take The Fight Against Shiv Sena MP To Next Level! After Air India, Now Indigo Cancels His Ticket

His attempts to take a flight since were repeatedly thwarted.