AirAsia Flight Leaves Karnataka Governor Behind At Bengaluru Airport

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot was supposed to fly to Hyderabad from the newly inaugurated Terminal 2 of the Bengaluru International Airport.

Image for representation

In a breach of protocol, an AirAsia plane takes off without taking Governor on board from Bengaluru to Hyderabad. As per a report on PTI, the AirAsia flight took off from the Kempegowda International Airport leaving behind the Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at the terminal, where he was waiting at the airport lounge, official sources said. The incident took place on Thursday and the protocol officers of the Governor have lodged a complaint at the Airport police station, a police officer told PTI requesting anonymity.

Governor Gehlot was supposed to fly to Hyderabad from the newly inaugurated Terminal 2 of the Bengaluru International Airport. He was flying to Hyderabad to attend a convocation ceremony in Raichur. However, the AirAsia flight took off without the governor boarding the plane. 

As per the report, as soon as the AirAsia flight arrived, Gehlot's luggage was loaded in it. However, there was said to be a delay in Gehlot reaching the terminal, the sources added. By the time he could reach from the VIP lounge to take the flight, the plane took off for Hyderabad, sources said.

The Governor had to take another flight after 90 minutes to reach Hyderabad, the sources added. Meanwhile, the Governor House officials were tight-lipped on the issue. AirAsia officials were not available for comment. An official of the Bangalore International Airport Limited, which operates KIA, said, "We usually do not comment on airline related matters. Please check with AirAsia."

A plane taking off without the Governor is seen as a breach of protocol, and action can be taken against AirAsia India for the incident. Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday gave its go ahead to the Tata Group's initiative to merge the budget airline AIX Connect (previously known as AirAsia India) with Air India Express. 

AIXL currently operates flights from 20 Indian cities to 14 regional international destinations, while AIXC serves 19 domestic destinations, complementing each other's networks to provide more extensive travel options for passengers.