IndiGo on Tuesday suspended stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra from flying for six months allegedly heckling a television news anchor Arnab Goswami onboard a flight, with Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri asking other airlines to follow suit.
"In light of the recent incident on board 6E 5317 from Mumbai to Lucknow, we wish to inform that we are suspending Mr. Kunal Kamra from flying with IndiGo for a period of six months, as his conduct onboard was unacceptable behaviour," IndiGo said in a statement.
@MoCA_GoI @HardeepSPuri In light of the recent incident on board 6E 5317 from Mumbai to Lucknow, we wish to inform that we are suspending Mr. Kunal Kamra from flying with IndiGo for a period of six months, as his conduct onboard was unacceptable behaviour. 1/2
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) January 28, 2020
Hereby, we wish to advise our passengers to refrain from indulging in personal slander whilst onboard, as this can potentially compromise the safety of fellow passengers. 2/2@MoCA_GoI @HardeepSPuri
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) January 28, 2020
The airline also advised air travellers to refrain from indulging in personal slander whilst onboard, as it can potentially compromise the safety of fellow passengers.
Puri hit out at Kamra saying offensive behaviour designed to provoke and create disturbance inside an aircraft was absolutely unacceptable as it endangered safety of air travellers.
"We are left with no option but to advise other airlines to impose similar restrictions on the person concerned," Puri said.
Offensive behaviour designed to provoke & create disturbance inside an aircraft is absolutely unacceptable & endangers safety of air travellers.
We are left with no option but to advise other airlines to impose similar restrictions on the person concerned. https://t.co/UHKKZfdTVS
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 28, 2020
Following this, Air India said in a tweet, "In view of the incident onboard @IndiGo6E , Air India wishes to inform that conduct of Person concerned is unacceptable.With a view to discourage such behavior onboard flts, Mr Kunal Kamra is suspended from flying on any Air India flt until further notice."
#FlyAI: In view of the incident onboard @IndiGo6E, Air India wishes to inform that conduct of Person concerned is unacceptable.With a view to discourage such behavior onboard flts, Mr Kunal Kamra is suspended from flying on any Air India flt until further notice. @HardeepSPuri .
— Air India (@airindiain) January 28, 2020
Kamra had accosted the television anchor on an IndiGo flight to Lucknow, questioned him on his brand of journalism and posted a video of the incident on social media.
I did this for my hero...
I did it for Rohit pic.twitter.com/aMSdiTanHo— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020
Kamra responded to IndiGo's decision by saying "thank you Indigo a six month suspension is honestly very kind of you".
Thank you Indigo a six month suspension is honestly very kind of you...
Modiji might be suspending Air India forever. https://t.co/ari4erSE5F— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020
"To all you ‘Nationalists’,
A member of the Anti-national club approached Arnab for a dialogue, he could educate me better on national interests & how I should keep nation first... instead of that he chose to watch some shitty movie & not engage.
Arnab your mask is off..." said Kunal Kamra in a tweet, earlier.
To all you ‘Nationalists’,
A member of the Anti-national club approached Arnab for a dialogue, he could educate me better on national interests & how I should keep nation first... instead of that he chose to watch some shitty movie & not engage.
Arnab your mask is off...
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020
Met Arnab Goswami on a flight & gave him a monologue about his ‘journalism’
All he did was call me mentally unstable & after sometime I had no choice but to return to my seat.
The entire flight I’ll keep pretending to use the loo just to tell him he’s piece of SHIT
F*CK Arnab
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rules for airline passengers categorises unruly behaviour into three categories.
Level 1 offences constitute physical gestures, verbal harassment, unruly inebriation and is punishable with an addition in 'No Fly' list of airlines upto three months. Physically abusive behaviour or sexual harassment can result in placing passenger on 'No Fly' list for six months.
The third level is termed as 'life-threatening behaviour by passengers' that may involve damage to aircraft operating systems, physical violence, attempted or actual breach of the flight crew compartment could result in airlines placing them on 'No Fly' list for a minimum period of 2 years.
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