Kolkata man deplaned for talking on phone during take-off

Alliance Air de-boarded 11 passengers over one man's refusal to cut a call (Representational image)

Alliance Air deplaned 11 passengers from a Kolkata-bound flight due to one man’s refusal to cut a phone call during take-off. According to a Times of India report, 45-year-old Suranjit Das Choudhury kept talking on the phone despite repeated requests from the cabin crew and the pilot’s announcement about take-off.

Most airlines stipulate that mobile phones should be switched off during take-off and landing. Choudhury’s refusal to put the phone down was therefore a violation of safety protocol.

The unruly flyer was deplaned by Alliance Air along with 10 other passengers who refused to fly without him. The incident took place on Tuesday at Assam’s Silchar airport.

The plane was already in accelerating mode, but the pilot brought it back to bay so the passengers could be deboarded, according to sources.

The group was handed over to local police. However, the airline did not lodge a formal complaint against the 11 flyers and cops eventually allowed all of them to go home.

An airport official told Times of India that Choudhury continued talking on the phone despite a direct request from the pilot. “There were repeated requests by air-hostesses but the flier, Choudhury, continued to talk on his phone. In the meantime, the aircraft started moving on the runway. Ultimately, the matter was brought to the notice of the pilot, who also requested him to cut the call. But he continued to show arrogance and finally the pilot decided to halt the aircraft and bring it back to the bay,” the airport official said.