New Delhi: Amid the ongoing IndiGo flight fiasco that has mired BJP leader Tejasvi Surya into controversy, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday said that Surya himself reported and apologized for the incident where he accidentally opened the emergency exit of an IndiGo plane last month.
Though allegations of this unnamed passenger being Tejasvi Surya had surfaced earlier, there were no official confirmations from the flight authorities regarding the identity of this passenger. This statement by Scindia is the first official statement in the matter since it caught the limelight.
When asked about the incident by some reporters on Wednesday, minister Scindia said it had happened on the ground. "When the incident happened, Tejasvi Surya ji himself reported that incident, based on which the full protocol was followed as DGCA itself has investigated and enunciated. The full protocol was followed and pressurization was checked, all the other checks were in place, and only then (did) the aircraft take off. I think he himself apologized," Scindia told the reporters.
"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," he added.
Also read: Tejasvi Surya: Controversial youth icon of saffron party and his rise to infamy
In a statement on Tuesday, IndiGo had said a passenger traveling on flight 6E 7339 from Chennai to Tiruchirapalli on Dec 10, 2022, accidentally opened the emergency exit during the boarding process. "The passenger immediately apologized for the action. As per SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), the incident was logged and the aircraft underwent mandatory engineering checks, which led to a delay in the flight's departure," it said. The airline declined to comment on the identity of the passenger.
A senior official at aviation regulator DGCA on Tuesday said the event was duly reported and that no safety was compromised. According to the official, it appears that by mistake, the Right Hand emergency exit got opened by a passenger while the aircraft was on the ground.
"The crew took note and resultantly, all appropriate airworthiness actions such as reinstalling of the door, pressurization check, etc. were carried out before the release of the aircraft for departure. No safety was compromised," the official added.
