What a 'powerful' Gujarati wedding party 'hijacking' Jet flight says about entitled Indians
In another case of VIP bullying, on December 2, a Jet Airways flight scheduled to leave for Bhopal from Mumbai was "hijacked" by an "influential" family.
Passengers on board flight 9W7083 were in for a rude shock when out of a party of 80 people travelling to Bhopal to attend a wedding, 17 reached the airport well beyond the last call to board the aircraft, causing inconvenience to those who were given the tickets in their absence.
The flight was delayed by nearly two hours, forcing those on board to face the chaos. The marriage party, according to reports, was an "influential Gujarati family" who bullied the Jet Airways staff and even blocked the aircraft's doors to prevent it from taking off before their relatives had boarded the flight.
They created a ruckus on the flight and compelled the airline staff into accomodating the 17 latecomers. They allegedly intimidated the Jet Airways staff to deboard the passengers who were given fresh tickets so that their family members could be accommodated.
According to reports, after the ensuing hullabaloo, Jet Airways agreed to accommodate the family because they were related to a "powerful" minister. After almost two hours, five people deboarded the plane and accepted Rs 10,000 as compensation for the harassment.
The flight, initially scheduled to land at 7.10am, finally took off at 8am and landed at 9.10am. Among the people who were put through unnecessary trouble was a man who was travelling from Singapore to attend his father’s funeral.
This episode is a rude reminder of the blatant abuse of privilege and entitlement by the rich and the powerful. However, it also raises questions of safety at high-security zones like airports. How did the 17 passengers, who didn't have confirmed tickets, manage to pass through the security check and boarding gates?
Is is indeed quite worrying, from a security point of view, that "sensitive" zones like flights and airports can be held ransom without no seeming security intervention, to accommodate the whims of a "powerful" family.
Jet Airways confirmed the incident. "The offloaded guests - part of a larger group, refused to accept the airline’s offer of compensation/re-accommodation on alternative flights, and together with other members of the group, proceeded to hold the flight," an airline spokesman said.
Here is the text of Jet Airways statement:
Jet Airways Statement on flight 9W 7083 (S2 4621) Mumbai - Bhopal of December 02, 2016. pic.twitter.com/G3RnH6nSAu
— Jet Airways (@jetairways) December 2, 2016
Outrage on Twitter too:
All TV channels debated #RobertVadra NSG related airport exemption.NO debate on @jetairways bullying by "powerful minister" friends. #Modia
— Suryanarayan Ganesh (@gsurya) December 3, 2016
Shocking to know that @JetAirways sold 17 more tickets than total sitting of plane. Issue must be investigated, plane can not be mini-bus.
— Anjani Shahi (@AnjaniShahi) December 3, 2016
But how did the latecomers "jump security"? Which family, what "political connection"? And can @jetairways get away with impunity? #Mumbai https://t.co/SrCphCSQW0
— কাঞ্চন গুপ্ত (@KanchanGupta) December 3, 2016
So, which Gujju family bullied @jetairways into submission? Which "powerful minister" are they connected to? Where's the outrage?
— Saptarshi Basu (@sabeaux) December 3, 2016
so @jetairways , you do not let us down as usual. Insensitivite attitude towards sick passengers is now your forte.
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) December 3, 2016
Jet Airways Offers To Pay Passengers To Deplane As An Influential Family ‘Hijacks’ The Flight. https://t.co/xUnar2FU7k
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) December 2, 2016
Those people who bullied their way on to the @jetairways plane are the picture of Indian entitlement. And fuck you @jetairways for doing it
— Rohan (@mojorojo) December 2, 2016