Air India says neighbours ostracising crew who went abroad

Resident Welfare Associations are obstructing them from performing their duty or even calling in the police, because they travelled abroad to COVID-19 affected places as part of their jobs, a release from the airline said.

The national carrier has earned the praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other ministers for rescuing stranded Indians from foreign countries in the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: File

Air India on Sunday put out a strongly worded statement against “vigilante residents’ welfare associations (RWA)” for what it called ostracising of its crew members who had flown rescue missions to bring back Indians from COVID-19 hotspots across the world.

The airline put out an appeal to law enforcement agencies to ensure that the crew members are treated fairly, as some associations had even gone to the police.

‘Protocols followed’

The statement said that Air India had made sure that its crew members followed all safety protocols and quarantine regulations, but when crew members went home, they faced ostracim. “It is alarming to note that in many localities, vigilante RWAs and neighbours have started ostracising the crew and even obstructing them from performing their duty or even calling the police just because the crew travelled abroad in the course of their duty,” the statement said.

“These vigilantes have conveniently forgotten that many a spouse, parent, sibling, child and many a near and dear one have been brought home safe and secure from affected countries because of the heroic efforts of the crew.”

While it did not specify any particular neighbourhood or individual, the national carrier used strong words.

Air India has flown rescue missions to Wuhan in China and Iran, with the latest mission to Rome over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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