File Photo: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju
An Air India flight ready for take-off in one of India's most sensitive airports, reopened its door to take Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on board at the last minute. This was among the many possible security breaches in an incident last week that Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today called "indefensible," without specifying who was to blame.
The Prime Minister's Office has asked for a report on flight delays because of "VIPs" after outrage over two incidents of Air India flights being held up.
On June 24, an Air India flight from Leh to Delhi was delayed by about an hour and a family of three was off-loaded to accommodate Mr Rijiju and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Nirmal Singh at the last minute.
The two ministers claim they arrived on time but the flight was advanced without notice. A report by the Indian Air Force, however, says the flight had been rescheduled and the airport director instructed the pilots to delay departure "to accommodate a VIP." For Mr Rijiju, the plane was forced to wait on the tarmac beyond the deadline for all flight departures at the high altitude airport. The doors had been shut for take-off, but were reopened, which is allowed only in most compelling circumstances, which include technical and security reasons.
Mr Rijiju was originally supposed to take a helicopter but bad weather prevented it. The same weather was also a concern for flights at the Leh airport.
Any flight delays at Leh, which is India's highest airport and is managed by the IAF, can be dangerous as the later a flight takes off, the air density become lower and it is more difficult for an aircraft to gain lift.
"Based on what we know in the public domain, it becomes an indefensible thing," the aviation minister told reporters.