Wahab

Thiruvananthapuram, April 8: An MP who had to abandon his Air India flight after a quarrel with the pilot has threatened to prosecute him for breach of privilege.

Pilot Rajat Rana said Muslim League leader Abdul Wahab, member of the Rajya Sabha and the civil aviation advisory committee, had arrived late at Kozhikode airport yesterday morning.

Wahab claimed he had arrived on time but the Kochi-bound flight was running 20 minutes behind schedule. He admitted there was a small delay before he was led to the aircraft from the VIP lounge.

The MP and his wife were to board the 8.45am Doha-Bahrain-Kozhikode-Kochi flight yesterday morning. IC 998 landed at Kozhikode at 8am and Wahab was at the airport by 8.30am.

But by the time officials of Air India (formed by the merger of Air-India and Indian) had led him to the aircraft, it was 9am.

Rana, waiting impatiently on the ladder, decided the MP was the cause of the delay.

He summoned the deputy airport manager to the aircraft and began scolding him. Wahab intervened but the pilot refused to take off with him on board.

Wahab has decided to take the matter up with the Rajya Sabha chairman and move a privilege motion against the pilot.

“I intervened when the airport manager was humiliated before me,” Wahab said, adding that he got off the flight immediately to avoid inconvenience to other passengers.

Airport sources, however, said the take-off had been delayed by 15 minutes as the plane waited for the MP and his family to board.

They added that the pilot was offended when the MP entered the cockpit to argue with him. Wahab later took the afternoon flight to Dubai.

Rana said he had acted in the passengers’ best interests. The issue has become controversial with several MPs defending Wahab and seeking action against the pilot. The pilots’ association has said it will resist any action against Rana.