Shiv Sena MP Gaikwad writes a regret letter, flying ban likely to be revoked

NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Ravindra Gaikwad's flying ban is likely to be revoked in a couple of days, after he has written a 'regret letter' to the aviation ministry.

The MP agreed to write a letter and give an undertaking that such a mistake would not be repeated again in a meeting called by Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

"He has given the ministry a regret letter, in which the MP has also given an undertaking that this would not be repeated ever again. The letter has been received in the evening and will be examined now. The ban might be lifted tomorrow or day after," said a government source, who did not want to be identified.


The meeting was also attended by Home minister Rajnath Singh, Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju and Heavy Industries Anant Gete.

Gaikwad, who had hit an Air India ground staff with slippers, is the first passenger in the Indian aviation history to be banned by airlines from flying.

Gaikwad assaulted a ground staff of the airline after he had to fly between Pune and Delhi in economy class despite having a business class ticket. Later it came to light that it was an all-economy aircraft and there was no way Air India would have offered him a business class seat on that aircraft.

Following a ban by Air India, post the incident, all Indian airlines banned him.

Later, Gaikwad booked seven air tickets but all his tickets were cancelled by the respective airlines. While five bookings were cancelled by Air India, one booking each was cancelled by IndiGo and SpiceJet.

After the ban on Gaikwad, the government had also started discussions on creating a 'no fly list' to tame unruly fliers.

The rules in India do not provide any authority to airlines to ban passengers from their flights. This is unlike the rules in the US and UK, where airlines can ban passengers and there is a provision of ‘no fly list’ for unruly passengers.

Here is the letter written by Gaikwad.