Air India launches internal probe into slapping incident

Complaint filed against supervisor.

An Air India aircraft with the Prime Minister on board on the way back from G-8 summit at the IGI Airport in New Delhi, on July 19, 2006. Photo: V.V.Krishnan

Air India has set up an internal probe to investigate an incident where an in-flight supervisor slapped a crew member on board a New Delhi-Frankfurt flight on March 17, after the attendant mistakenly served non-vegetarian food to a vegetarian passenger travelling business class.

Airline officials said that the in-flight cabin crew supervisor allegedly slapped her junior colleague for serving non-vegetarian food to a vegetarian passenger.

An Air India spokesperson said that an internal probe into the incident has been launched by the carrier’s in-flight service department.

“The passenger did point out the mistake to the cabin supervisor but did not file a complaint,” airline sources said. The airline is probing as to what caused the in-flight cabin crew supervisor to raise her hand against the attendant.

Apology tendered

“The crew member apologised to the passenger and a replacement meal was also served to him. It was much later that the in-flight supervisor took up the issue again with the flight attendant again and ended slapping her for the mistake,”officials said.

The flight attendant filed a complaint with Air India’s in-flight service department over the incident upon returning to Delhi.

“We have received a complaint from the cabin crew of the flight AI 121 and an internal inquiry has been set up to investigate the allegations,” an Air India spokesperson said.