Kiren Rijiju claims Air India advanced flight timing, demands explanation

NEW DELHI: Even though minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju has regretted the inconvenience caused to passengers of the Leh-Delhi flight on June 24, he wants civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju to seek an immediate explanation from Air India on what led the carrier to advance the flight by an hour, that too at a short notice.

"It is rather unusual for a flight to be preponed. I was informed about the same as late as 9.50 am, and was forced to leave the Sindhu Darshan event midway to be able to board the flight. Air India needs to tender an explanation to passengers on what were the unavoidable circumstances that caused it to advance the flight. What was the emergency that led it to put not only me but all other passengers at inconvenience," Rijiju told TOI on Friday.

Unhappy with Raju for "apologizing" on behalf of Air India for the "delays" caused on account of "VIP travels", Rijiju said he should have instead taken the national carrier to task over its last-minute decision to bring forward the timing of the Leh-Delhi flight.

"I am very upset with the way Air India or the civil aviation minister have clarified. We are colleagues and responsible for misconduct of any of our government officials or PSUs like Air India. Civil aviation ministry must immediately seek a report from Air India," he said.

Rijiju also claimed that the three passengers were not "offloaded" as they had never "boarded" the flight in the first place. "I was not aware of these passengers at the time. In any case, it is not permissible to offload a passenger," he said.