TDP MLA airport row: HC issues notice to airlines for banning Diwakar Reddy

Diwakar Reddy had said the incident was 'blown out of proportion'

The Hyderabad High Court on Monday issued "urgent notices" to respondents on a petition filed by TDP MP J C Diwakar Reddy challenging the flying ban imposed on him by some of the domestic airlines.

Justice S V Bhatt directed the court registry to issue "urgent notices" by e-mail to the respondents and posted the matter to July 21 for further hearing.

Almost all domestic airlines have banned the TDP lawmaker from flying in their planes following his alleged unruly behaviour with IndiGo staff at the Visakhapatnam airport on June 15.

In his petition, Reddy has made the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, the DGCA, Air India, Jet Airways, Vistara Airlines, IndiGo, GoAir, AirAsia, SpiceJet and Turbo Megha Airways as respondents.

The Lok Sabha MP from Anantapur had allegedly created a ruckus at the airport after he was not allowed boarding by IndiGo for being late.

In the petition, he sought a direction declaring action of respondents in imposing flying ban on him as "illegal, arbitrary, violative of principle of natural justice...And to consequently direct the respondents to forthwith allow the petitioner to fly in all domestic flights".

Reddy had said the incident was "blown out of proportion".