The 14-day ban on Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Ravindra Gaikwad from flying on domestic carriers was lifted on Friday after Air India accepted the “advise” of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to lift the ban imposed on him.
The Ministry has also advised all other airlines to lift the ban.
“The Ministry of Civil Aviation has today directed us to lift the ban in view of the apology tendered by Gaikwad to the Minister of Civil Aviation. The ban placed by Air India on Gaikwad has, therefore, been lifted with immediate effect,” an airline spokesperson said.
The ban had been put in place as Gaikwad had assaulted a 62-year-old Air India staffer for not being offered a business class seat on an all-economy Pune-Delhi flight.
Even as the ban was lifted, another MP, Dola Sen of the Trinamool Congress, is said to have delayed an Air India Delhi-Kolkata flight by 40 minutes as her aged mother was not being allowed to usean emergency-exit seat.