Governor 'arrives late' for flight, misses it; staffer suspended, was he wrong?

Umar Sharieef |NT

Bengaluru: Three days after Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot failed to board a Hyderabadbound AirAsia India flight at the KIA, the airline suspended Zico Soares, the station manager, exposing the VVIP culture.

Soares was suspended “at least for a month” for the alleged lapse and for failing to wait till the VIP arrived. He was also charged for giving clearance to the flight take off with the regular passengers onboard.

According to reports, the governor is said to have arrived two minutes late from the departure time of flight 15972, which was scheduled at 2.05 pm. While the suspension highlights the VVIP culture, it also raises questions about whether the action would be the same if a commoner misses a flight.

Several passengers to whom News Trail spoke expressed their dissent and asked if the rules would be the same for a commoner if they miss their flight.

“He, the governor, is a VVIP, and it doesn’t mean the law is different for him. He should set an example to other passengers by boarding on time. Would the same airline suspend the staff for mishandling our luggage or for other problems that passengers go through?” asked Ravi, a regular traveller.

Does the governor think he can reach the airport against the prescribed time to board a flight and is he not aware of the fact that other passengers onboard will be bothered because of his delay, asked another passenger, adding that the governor must be more responsible.

GS Bawa, senior advisor in the Aviation Industry, and former head of Public Relations at Airport Authority of India, said it was a scheduled flight, which had to leave at the right time, adding there should be clear view on where the lapse has occurred.

While reports say the governor arrived late, the governor's office, however, denied it and said he had reached the airport earlier. Another former aviation expert who didn’t want to be named said the governor should follow the law.

“Doesn’t the governor know the law applies to him as well and he should not misuse it? Like other passengers, he should have also checked in and done the boarding process one hour before the departure”, said the former aviation expert.