Smoking on flight: ‘Bobby Kataria was put on no-fly list for 15 days in Feb’
However, the SpiceJet spokesperson's statement did not mention the dates between which the ban was in effect.
NEW DELHI: After a video from earlier this year of ‘social media influencer’ Bobby Kataria smoking on board a flight went viral on social networking sites, SpiceJet – the budget carrier on whose flight the incident took place – said on Thursday that Kataria’s act resulted in the airline putting him on its no-flying list for 15 days.
“The matter was referred to Internal Committee constituted as per provisions of Civil Aviation Requirements on the handling of unruly passengers (not consisting of any SpiceJet employee).
They said a passenger was put on a no-flying list by the airline for 15 days in February 2022,” a SpiceJet spokesperson informed news agency ANI.
The matter was referred to Internal Committee constituted as per provisions of Civil Aviation Requirements on handling of unruly passengers (not consisting of any SpiceJet employee). The said pax was put on a no-flying list by the airline for 15 days in Feb 2022: SpiceJet Spox
— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2022
However, the statement made no mention of the dates between which Kataria – real name Balwinder – was barred from flying with the Gurugram-headquartered company.
Meanwhile, the release also noted that the airline, in its probe, found that the Haryana resident and his co-passengers shot the video when passengers were boarding the Dubai-Delhi flight, on January 20. “The cabin crew were occupied with completing the on-boarding procedure. None of the passengers or crew was aware of the act.
The matter came to the airline’s notice on January 24, 2022, through social media posts,” the statement said.
None of the passengers or crew was aware of the act. The matter came to the airline’s notice on January 24, 2022 through social media posts: SpiceJet Spokesperson
— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2022
After the clip resurfaced on social media, the Bureau of Civil Aviation said that the video is old, and ‘appropriate action was taken against Bobby at that time.
After some Twitter users flagged the video tagging civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, he responded saying ‘there will be no tolerance towards such hazardous behaviour’.
-Hindustan Times
