Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad soars again, in Air India business class

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad was reduced to train and road travel.

Pune: Over two weeks after he was blacklisted and grounded by all airlines, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad here on Monday morning took wings again on a Pune-New Delhi flight, authorities said.

Reduced to train and road travel and avoiding the media glare till now, the Osmanabad MP took the Pune-New Delhi AI-852, which has now made a provision for business class travel on this particular service.

Incidentally, on March 23 it was the same flight AI-852 which did not offer the business class that day, leading to a serious verbal and physical altercation with the airline staffers.

It culminated in the assault on a senior official, two police complaints lodged against him, blacklisting him, slapping a complete flying ban besides ruckus by Shiv Sena in the Parliament and a face-off between the two ruling BJP-led NDA constituents.

Last week, after Gaikwad tendered a letter expressing `regret` over the incident to Civil Aviation Minister A Gajapathi Raju, AI revoked the flying ban on Saturday, closely followed by Federation of Indian Airlines and other private airlines.

The government`s moves came following threats that the Shiv Sena, a member of the ruling NDA, would boycott the critical meet to discuss the nominee for next President.