AI flight delayed at B'luru airport after fight erupts between pilot, crew member

Bengaluru/New Delhi: An Air India pilot allegedly asked a crew member to clean the tiffin after he had finished his meal before taking off from Bengaluru airport, provoking a heated argument between the two, airline officials said Wednesday.

Consequently, Air India is likely to ban pilots from bringing their own food on board an aircraft, the officials said.

“We have taken a serious note of this incident that happened on Monday. We will soon ask pilots to not bring their own food on flights,” said a senior official of the national carrier.

Another airline official said flight AI-772 was to leave from Bengaluru for Kolkata at 11.40 am on Monday but it got delayed by nearly two hours as the captain and the cabin crew member who had gotten into a fight had to be removed and replaced on the plane.

“I have been told that the captain wanted the cabin crew member to clean the tiffin after he finished his meal. Probably, this is what led to a fight between them. An investigation has been started. Strict action will be taken,” the second official said.

Airline officials said the two employees have been called to the Delhi headquarters for interrogation and they would be here on Thursday.

Earlier, on March 27, Air India had instructed its pilots to not order special meals for themselves during flights as they are required to adhere to a “meal schedule laid down by the company”.

The decision was taken as pilots were found to be ordering special meals for themselves such as burgers, soups, smoked salmon, guacamole and hummus with pita bread.