Air India revokes flight ban on Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad

He wrote a regret letter to civil aviation minister yesterday over the 'unfortunate incident'

Air India on Friday lifted its ban on Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, whose flight bookings had been cancelled repeatedly after he assaulted an officer of the national carrier last month.

According to Air India, the ban was lifted after the Civil Aviation Ministry wrote to the airline, a day after Gaikwad expressed "regrets" in the Lok Sabha over the March 23 incident.

"Ministry of Civil Aviation has today directed us to lift the ban in view of the apology tendered by Mr.Gaikwad to the Hon'ble Minister of Civil Aviation. The ban placed by Air India on Mr. Gaikwad has, therefore, been lifted with immediate effect," the airline said in a statement.

"Air India, however, remains committed to ensure that its employees are not assaulted and neither misbehaved with by any passenger and would always take strong action to preserve the dignity of its employees at all times."

The national passenger carrier had placed a ban on the movement of the MP on its flights after the incident in which Gaikwad assaulted an Air India employee.