Dubai-based tycoon thrown off Air India flight

HEATED ARGUMENT: Abdul Wahab said on Tuesday he will raise the issue of his forced disembarkment in India's parliament.

Dubai-based Indian businessman and MP P.V. Abdul Wahab said on Tuesday he will raise the issue of his forced disembarkment from a domestic flight by state carrier Air India in India's Parliament.

Abdul Wahab, a member of upper house of parliament Rajya Sabha, said he was forced to get off the Kerala-based flight on Monday morning after an argument with the flight captain Rajat Rana, Times of India reported.

"I will take up the matter with my chairman of Rajya Sabha and move a privilege motion against the pilot," said Abdul Wahab, referring to raising the issue as a matter of great urgency and importance in parliament.

A tycoon with diversified real estate and shipping interests in the Gulf, Abdul Wahab was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2004 as a member of the Indian Union Muslim League political party. At the time, he said he was worth over $32 million.

Flying en-route to Dubai, Abdul Wahab said he had arrived well in advance to catch the Monday flight between the Keralite cities of Kozhikode and Kochi, which was running 20 minutes late from Bahrain, but had been delayed himself after being taken from the VIP lounge at the airport to the airplane.

"The captain, Rajat Rana, got into an argument with the duty manager who was accompanying me," said Abdul Wahab when he tried boarding the plane.

Abdul Wahab said that when he tried to intervene, the pilot said it was none of his business, and insisted he would not take off unless the MP was taken off the flight.

"I think the pilot was trying to make up the 20-minute delay [from Bahrain] which was why this incident happened," said Abdul Wahab, who was then put on to another Air India flight from Kozhikode to Dubai.

Rajat Rana, the pilot of the plane, maintains that he wanted to depart on-time for the sake of the other passengers.

"I have not done anything wrong in deplaning MP Wahab," said Rana, reported the Times of India. "The decision to order Wahab off the plane was in passenger interest."

Some sources claim the plane's depature was delayed because Abdul Wahab and his kin tried to board the plane 15 minutes after its scheduled departure time. Rana then summoned the local airport manager, who entered the aircraft with the MP, and told them that the plane would not depart until Abdul Wahab removed himself.

Srinivasan Rajachandrasekhar, the manager of Kozhikode airport in Kerala, has said an investigation will be launched into the incident.

"There was an argument between Abdul Wahab and Captain Rajat Rana - in the end, Abdul Wahab volunteered to get down from the flight," said Rajachandrasekhar. "Air India will launch an investigation into the incident."

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READERS' COMMENTS

MP Thrown out of Plane
Posted by Ali Asghar, Dubai, U.A.E on Tuesday 30 December 2008 at 14:36 UAE time

One really wonders how people tolerate such MP's getting seat Rajya Sabha. Its a SHAME On Mr. Adbul Wahab. Captain Rana did his duty and I am proud of him. As it is we have enough troubles with Poverty and education, etc troubling our country and now this??? Where will it all end!!!

Rana you are a Sham
Posted by Devi Cherian, Cochin, India on Thursday 8 May 2008 at 15:14 UAE time


There's a twist to the tale, the guy was wanting to meet his girl for her birthday and the flight was getting delayed for waiting for the MP. The Pilot lost his cool because his fiancee was calling him and asking him when will he come; so he started shouting at the duty manager and then gave a piece of his twisted mind to the MP once he came on board

Captain Rajat Rana may be lying to save himself
Posted by Joey Thomas, Muscat, Oman on Thursday 8 May 2008 at 12:23 UAE time


I have just come back after visiting my village in Kerela and what I heard is that Rana did all this on the flight because it was his mistress' birthday that day; the fellow is married but has an affair with a colleague in the airline. He was in a hurry to fly off quickly and in the pursuit faught with the airline staff and the MP. What a Cheat! Shameless fellow making his personal trouble seem like international news about the airline industry. He is a Lying Glorified Driver in this case

Shame on you Mr. Abdul Wahab
Posted by M.P.B Nair, Calicut, India on Wednesday 16 April 2008 at 11:35 UAE time


To say that I am shocked is an understatement when I read that MP Abdul Wahab is moving a motion in the Rajya Sabha. I urge to the MP's of Rajya Sabha not to give importance to this issue as it is clearly evident that he was late for the flight and is trying to cover his mistake by such blatant threats of raising this issue in the Rajya Sabha. My fellow country men I urge you all to stand by our Captain Rana and never allow a rich man's ego to be polished in our law making institution of Rajya Sabha. I have no quarrel in the fact that a former watch maker may not be in a position to understand the difference between a driver and a pilot. But over the period of his stay in Dubai and engaged in many succesful businesses and being able to step into the building of Rajya Sabha, that much sense must have been prevailing by this time.

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