A day after it was reported that BJP MP Tejasvi Surya had opened the emergency exit door of an Indigo flight before takeoff in December, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the incident happened by “mistake” and that Surya had “apologised” for the same.
“The person concerned, Tejasvi Surya himself reported to the crew and the pilot following which all the protocols were followed and only then was the aircraft allowed to take off,” Scindia was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
It’s important to look at the facts. The door was opened by him by mistake when the flight was on the ground and after all checks, the flight was allowed to take off. He also apologised for the mistake: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia https://t.co/CWQufXixOk pic.twitter.com/2qkxzcsYiy
— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2023
Scindia said that after the incident the plane took off only after mandatory checks. “Full protocol was followed as DGCA has investigated. Only after all checks the aircraft took off,” he added.
While the incident took place on December 10 at the Chennai airport, IndiGo released a statement on Tuesday following some media reports. While media reports named the Bengaluru South MP, IndiGo’s statement did not name anyone.
“A passenger travelling on Flight 6E 7339 from Chennai to Tiruchirapalli on Dec 10, 2022, accidentally opened the emergency exit during the boarding process. The passenger immediately apologised for the action. As per SOPs, the incident was logged and the aircraft underwent mandatory engineering checks, which led to a delay in the flight’s departure,” the airline said.
Opposition party leaders came down heavily on the BJP after the incident was reported. Calling out the BJP VIP ‘Brats’, Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted: “The BJP VIP Brats ! How dare the airline complain? Is it the norm for the BJP power elite? Did it compromise passenger safety? Ohhh! U can’t ask questions about BJP’s entitled VIP’s !”
Sharing a picture of Surya and Indigo jet, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi, without naming the BJP MP, tweeted, “Seems someone is too eager to achieve big in political life. It doesn’t happen this way. Success in politics is a factor of humility and perseverance, not volatility and arrogance.”
