Brawl between Air India pilot & staff over rinsing tiffin-box delays flight

Bengaluru, June 19: A strange incident on board flight Air India flight AI-772 that was about to take off from Bangalore to Kolkata on Monday caused a great fight.

The Captain and a crew member nearly came to blows in full view of the passengers when the pilot allegedly ordered the junior staff to rinse his lunchbox.

When informed of the situation by other crew members, Air India immediately grounded both. The flight was delayed by two hours as a replacement captain and purser had to be found.

Sources say that the crew member took offence when he was asked to wash the pilot's lunchbox. A heated exchange soon followed even as the flight was ready to take off.

This is when other crew members intervened and saved the situation but the passengers were left scared and shocked with the unruly behaviour of the pilot and a staff member. As a result the Bengaluru-Kolkata flight was delayed by 77 minutes.

An Air India spokesperson confirmed the incident and maintained that the pilot and the crew have been de-rostered pending inquiry. On the question whether the pilot asked the crew member to wash his tiffin box, the spokesperson said, "The matter is under investigation."

Luckily, for the passengers the tiff didn't break out mid-air and the airline took prompt action.

Confirming the fight, a spokesman for Amnesty International said the duo was summoned to Delhi headquarters for questioning on Thursday. When asked if he was asked to clean a box of tiffin took him to the fight, the official said: During the preliminary interrogation, both said he was pushed by the other when he went to the cockpit. This problem is being investigated.