Air India and the member airlines of the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) that include IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air have condemned the assault on an Air India staff member by a passenger who happens to be a Member of Parliament on March 23, 2017.
The member airlines have demanded that strict action be taken against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad by law enforcement agencies. "We believe that an assault on any one of our employees is an assault on all of us and on ordinary law abiding citizens of our country who work hard to earn a living,'' a FIA statement said.
Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this Member of Parliament from flying on all their flights with immediate effect. "We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety,'' it said.
"In the interest of the safety and security of our colleagues and other customers, we also propose the promulgation of a "no fly" list which shall include the names of all unruly passengers. Such customers are not welcome on our carriers and we seek the support of the Government and security agencies to enforce such a "no fly" list,'' the statement added.