Air India today lifted the flight ban on Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, nearly two weeks after he was barred from flying for assaulting the national carrier’s staffer.

According to Air India sources, the ban was revoked after the airline received a letter from the Civil Aviation Ministry to do so.

Gaikwad had written a regret letter to the civil aviation minister yesterday over the “unfortunate incident”.

A special messenger from the Ministry hand delivered the letter to the CMD office around 2.30 pm following which the decision to lift ban was taken. Late on Thursday night, Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, met Ashwani Lohani, Air India CMD, in his second floor room at the airline's headquarters. This meeting along with Gaikwad's letter of regret to Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Union Civil Aviation Minister, finally led to the ban being lifted.

The MP is likely to be on a 5 pm flight from Delhi to Mumbai today.