Biman's flight delayed for altercation on plane
Departure of a Singapore-bound flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines was
delayed yesterday by 37 minutes at Shahjalal International Airport due
to a chaotic incident on the plane over seating in business class of a
member of the higher judiciary who had an economy class ticket.
As a cabin crew requested him to take his assigned seat in the front
row of the economy class, he gave his identity and allegedly insisted
on sitting in the business class, said passengers and crew members of
the flight.
He was going to Singapore on a personal medical trip.
Hearing the commotion, officials of Biman's traffic department rushed
to the plane and requested him to take his seat in the economy class,
but he allegedly got furious and shouted out that he would convene an
impromptu mobile court on the plane and send the traffic officials and
the captain of the plane to jail, said some of the passengers.
He also allegedly asked the traffic department officials to make a
phone call to the Biman managing director and upgrade his ticket to
business class. The officials said they were not high- up enough in
the official hierarchy to make phone calls to the top boss of the
airliner.
At one stage of the altercation, the cockpit crews and the traffic
officials tried to arrange scheduled departure of the flight, but they
failed as he allegedly ordered all not to leave the aircraft and not
to close the door.
He also ordered the cabin crew to go tell the captain of the flight BG
084 that the member of the higher judiciary wants to see him.
As the captain delayed coming out of the cockpit, he allegedly
threatened the captain with issuance of a contempt of court charge on
his return from Singapore.
Hearing about the altercation, top Biman officials rushed to the scene
and immediately upgraded the ticket to business class. Finally, the
Boeing 737 left for Singapore at 8:02am, 37 minutes behind schedule.
"We've received a written complaint about the incident from the crew,"
a Biman top official told The Daily Star.
Wishing anonymity a top Biman official said that on a previous
occasion, they had upgraded the ticket of the same person to business
class on his trip to London as there was a request through proper
channel. But this time there was no such request and they were not
informed about his visit.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=208404
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