Notwithstanding pressure, Air India staff refused to waive the charges on 193 kg of excess baggage being carried by three MPs from Guwahati to Delhi and flew the goods in cargo after they made the payments.
Three Lok Sabha MPs — Uttar Pradesh Congress chief and Faizabad MP Nirmal Khatri, Congress MP from Almora Pradeep Tamta and BJP MP from Meerut Rajendra Agrawal — were returning from Guwahati in Air India’s flight (AI 9612) on Tuesday, airline sources said.
They wanted to check-in together with 268 kg of baggage but an economy class passenger is allowed to carry only 25 kg of checked-in luggage, according to airline policy.
The MPs, who are members of Parliament’s Rajbhasha panel and had gone to Guwahati for an official meeting, wanted the airline’s station manager to waive the excess baggage charges.
But the airline officials expressed inability citing Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh’s August directive prohibiting any waiver on excess baggage allowance to VVIPs, Ministers and bureaucrats, the sources said.
The MPs were asked to book the excess baggage in cargo after paying a fee, to which they agreed and the baggage came to Delhi in another flight, they said.
Comments:
Congratulations Air India Staff ... this IS the way all acts & laws SHUPLD be enforced. We have developed habit of SOME are more equal. These MP's & Netas tendersurmons to citizens & they themselves live life exactly opposite, even KINGS in the past would have felt SHAME on SPENDING TAX PAYERS money. They feel they are exempted from everything including susidised cylenders just because they ave WON election, we all know how ? Just now in Maharastra it was eveiden that NEW BREED LEADER refused to PAY TOLL for ALL cars travelling with after attending PARTY concalve. Surmns are tendered by this PARTY about HIGH morals & living .
hats off to air india staff
Bravo! Congratulations to Air India staff! Thanks for setting the precedence of this kind, so others would have moral courage to act honestly and with authority next time!
Shame on lawmakers who take it for granted that law makers are above the law!
BTW, why do they need to haul back so much luggage, when a visit is simply to attend the meeting? This naturally arouses some suspicion!
Great Air India!! This is what required and expected of you!!
Keep it up!!
AI staff should be complimented for their act. The company is looted and is being continuosly looted by these politicians and babus. Employees are hard pressed to perform without being paid and most of the employees spending their own money for official travel/work. Even after this there is no appreciation and there is no hope for the future prospects also.
Only way to make this airline survive is to remove it from government clutches...
I shall appreciate the decision taken by staff of Air India.The Aviation Ministry support this decision in the interest of organisation.
very very nice and bold move. this should be followed by one an all. for every extra Kg,any airline chages minimum of 150 INR, so they aksed AIR INDIA to waive off 193*140 = 27000 INR at the expense of tax payer's money.
again congrats for your bold move and ajit singh should be appreciated.
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