TDP MP J.C. Diwakar Reddy has been banned by all domestic airlines following his alleged unruly behaviour at the Visakhapatnam airport after he was denied boarding for an IndiGo flight. An enquiry will be ordered, said Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju.
Full-service carrier Vistara and budget airlines — GoAir and AirAsia India — on Friday barred Mr. Reddy from their flights.
Air India, SpiceJet and Jet Airways followed IndiGo on Thursday, which imposed the flying ban on him.
Mr. Raju on Friday said he will get the entire incident involving TDP MP J C Diwakar Reddy at Vizag airport “enquired into” and will ensure that “lawful outcomes” follow.
“I will get the entire incident at Vizag Airport enquired into to find out the exact details and ensure that lawful outcomes follow,” he said in a tweet.
The minister also denied a media report that he had intervened to ensure that Reddy was allowed to board the IndiGo flight and said there was “no such intervention”.
Show of unity
In a show of unity, all major domestic airlines have barred Reddy from taking their flights — similar to action taken by the carriers after the incident involving Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad earlier this year.
“After careful consideration of the various issues and ramifications of the actions of Reddy, GoAir has also taken a decision of not accepting any further bookings for the said passenger,” the airline said in a statement.
An AirAsia India spokesperson said it has also barred Reddy from flying.
“In support of the fellow carriers, Vistara has also taken a decision to impose flying ban on J.C. Diwakar Reddy,” a Vistara spokesperson said.
On Thursday, Reddy was scheduled to fly IndiGo’s flight 6E-608, which departs from Visakhapatnam at 8.10 am, to Hyderabad.
But he reached just 28 minutes before the scheduled departure, according to the airline.
As per norms laid out by the aviation regulator, airlines close check-in counters for all domestic fights 45 minutes prior to departure.
Mr. Reddy — who had allegedly vandalised the Air India office at Gannavaram airport in Vijaywada last year after he missed his flight — got into a verbal spat with the ground staff and threw a printer kept at the airline’s counter after he was informed that boarding for his flight had closed.