Four passengers forced to disembark from flight

Chennai, Aug 21 (UNI) Four passengers of a Mumbai-bound Air Deccan flight from Chennai were forced to disembark after they questioned the non-functioning of the air conditioning system inside the aircraft and handed over to the CISF security personnel.

Airport sources said when the flight, with 132 passengers on board, was ready for take off, Mr Roy (56) of Mumbai felt suffocated due to non-functioning of the AC. His wife Ms Roy (49) and daughter S Roy (25) also took up the issue with the Air Hostess, who failed to give a proper reply.

A co-passenger Karthikeyan (47) came to the support of Mr Roy's family and they shouted slogans.

The upset cabin crew insisted that the four be disembarked, failing which the flight would not take off. They were then removed from the flight and handed over to CISF personnel, who in turn handed them over to the Airport police. The flight then took off at 0620 hrs after a delay of one hour.

They accused the Air Deccan officials of treating them like accused for taking up a genuine cause.

After Air Deccan officials said they did not wish to lodge a complaint, the four were let off. They would be sent to Mumbai in the evening flight.

UNI