Air India pilot, crew 'derostered' for fighting over lunchbox on Bengaluru-Kolkata flight

Air India on Wednesday derostered a Captain and a senior member of the crew of AI 772 Bengaluru-Kolkata flight for a very public brawl over a petty issue. The incident took place on June 17 onboard Bengaluru-Delhi flight when the Captain allegedly asked crew to wash his tiffin. The matter has been reported to the aviation regulator DGCA. The Air India has issued summons to the crew for questioning. Quoting a senior official, the Times of India report said that the flight was delayed for over two hours. The plane finally took off after the airline managed to get another captain and a purser.

The unnamed official reportedly said that it all started after a minor tiff between the two officials. On that day, the captain had brought food from home. First, he asked the purser to warm up the food. After everyone finished eating, the captain allegedly asked the purser to wash his tiffin box. The purser took an offence to this. Soon, it turned into a major brawl with the two fighting out in full public view.

"Airline chairman Ashwani Lohani has taken a very stern view of this issue. Both the pilot and crew member have been summoned to the Delhi HQ for questioning on Thursday," the TOI said while quoting an Air India statement.

The embattled national carrier, once known for its ‘Maharaja-style’ courtesy is not doing great in terms of business too. The loss-making Air India is estimated to have a debt burden of over Rs 48,000 crore and the government's efforts for strategic disinvestment of the carrier failed in May last year. Air India has been making losses since the merger with Indian Airlines in 2007. The airline has a fleet size of around 122 aircraft currently.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Air India had a market share of 13.4 per cent in March 2018. With a fleet of over 150 aircraft, Air India currently boasts of over 2,500 international prime-time slots per week in 43 destinations and 3,800 domestic slots in 54 destinations.